All the Love in My Heart: The Winds and Rains and the Scorching Sun
by SaoirseKonstantin
Summary: Logan continues to survive at seventeen but life keeps throwing him challenges: Aaron, the aftermath of his mother's actions and Neptune's inequality. With Veronica by his side and a family of his own creation, watch how he continues to navigate and survive life's challenges. Sequel to jacedesbff's For the Sake of a Friend.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

First, this story is predominantly character driven. There is plot and action, but the focus is on the characters and the relationships between them all. Second, this story continues where Jacedesbff's story 'For the Sake of a Friend' left off. I am playing in Jada's sandbox with her permission. Many, many thanks to her for letting me continue her story, which I am counting as Book One of this series. To understand my story, I recommend that you go read her story first. You can find it on AO3 either by searching for 'jacedesbff' or 'For the Sake of a Friend'.

Also, many thanks to my Betas: elise_velez, haleyhazz, His_Beautiful_Girl, Luner Kat, and pyrodaemon. This story would not be as decent as it is without all your input and help.

**Trigger Warnings: **Mentions of a past Suicide, mentions of previous and current abuse (Emotional, Mental, Verbal, Physical, and Sexual) against multiple characters by different characters. I don't describe the sexual abuse much (just an overview of the crimes and their potential punishments) but I describe several instances of the physical, emotional, mental, and verbal. The violence and sexual relations in this story are typical of what was shown on the show and described in the prequel, '**For the Sake of a Friend'**, with maybe a little more sexy fun times shown in some spots.

* * *

**All the Love in My Heart Series**

**Book Two: The Winds and Rains and the Scorching Sun**

**Chapter One: Our Choices Seal Our Fate**

**Friday, March 18, 2005**

* * *

**Logan's Inspirational Message**

_'The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.'—Napoleon Hill_

* * *

**SPOILERS: Previously in 'For the Sake of a Friend':** Logan and Veronica began dating secretly shortly after Lilly's death. They kept the secret for a year and a half, throughout sophomore and half of junior year, because of several suicide attempts by Duncan. They thought the idea that Veronica had moved on would send him over the edge. However, Duncan figured it out almost immediately and began stalking them. Watching them was the only way he could feel, or so he later said. When Duncan realized the pair planned to come clean about their relationship, he outed them first with an intimate video 'to take control of the situation' and then disappeared. The Kane's offered a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for either proof of life or information leading to finding Duncan. Veronica came up with a plan, and with help from a priest named Father Perez, she figured out how to prove Duncan wasn't dead.

Before they could follow through on Veronica's plan, however, Duncan kidnapped Veronica when he realized she intended to turn over the proof of life to his parents for the reward they had offered. Duncan shot at Logan while he was trying to rescue Veronica and it was at this time that Duncan remembered that he had killed Lilly in one of his epileptic rages. The memories were too much, and he fell into a catatonic state, which the doctors claim will be permanent.

While uninjured by the attempted shot, Logan was still suffering from the wounds sustained during his father's latest beating and Veronica vowed to destroy Aaron. Bobby Lake, a doctor at the hospital, figured out what Logan's x-rays meant and offered to testify to that fact if Logan pressed charges. He and Logan bonded over the fact that Bobby, too, was the victim of an abusive father. His father was a renowned Neurosurgeon and much like Aaron, was well respected in the community, making it difficult to prove abuse.

When Mrs. Navarro's daughter fell ill with Cancer, Meg stepped in to help take over babysitting duty allowing Mrs. Navarro to go be with her daughter. This led to Meg getting to know Weevil and falling in love with him. Like Logan and Veronica, they too dated secretly. When Meg got pregnant, they ran away to Georgia and got married to keep her abusive parents from getting custody of the baby. Logan and Weevil became friendly because of their better halves' growing friendship.

Veronica and Mac teamed up and found proof of Aaron's bad behavior. They uncovered recordings of sex with minors and underage porn sites on his computer. Mac turned off the safeguards that Aaron had set up to wipe his internet history from his computer and hide his IP address. Afterward, Veronica called the FBI and made an anonymous tip which resulted in Aaron being arrested and charged with multiple crimes.

Keith, understanding that Logan couldn't return to an abusive environment brought Logan home to the apartment to help him recover. After a week of healing, he arranged with Alicia for Logan to rent her spare apartment, something beneficial to them both as Logan needed a new residence and Alicia needed a renter. _And now on to our story..._

* * *

With a flip and a flick, Logan Echolls turned his Poppop's cigar lighter in his injured hand while he glanced around his old bedroom. The splint on his pinkie and ring fingers made his movements clunky, but he still turned it round and round before he flicked the top up and then snapped the lid closed every couple of turns.

Despite the mid-March chill in the air, the light from the midday sun filled and heated the room and highlighted Veronica's blonde hair when she glanced at him over the lid of the suitcase she was packing for him. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at him so he said, "Sorry, I can't stop, at least not today. PopPop traded for this in Seoul before the North Korean's captured him during the war."

She stopped what she was doing and turned, rubbing soothing circles on his back. "Don't apologize, Logan, you're allowed to have nervous, pent-up energy today." He scratched at the back of his neck beneath the strap for his sling. In the back of his mind he was waiting for the other shoe to drop so she wasn't far off with her nervous energy comment.

She went back to packing and tilted her head to the other side. "He inscribed it, right?"

After turning his hand so she could see the side, he held it out in front of her, "After he escaped from the POW camp, he engraved 'Free at Last' on it. The lighter was on my mom's nightstand after she died instead of inside her purse where she usually kept it. I thought it was a message that she broke free of Aaron's tyranny. That's why I thought she wasn't dead. Though, I suppose being dead means she broke free, too."

She leaned into him, so he let out a deep breath and rubbed his thumb over the inscription. "Anyway, I've carried it with me everywhere ever since I found it. More often than not, I toy with it."

The lighter was à propos that afternoon. He might end up free at last, too. Even though he was only turning seventeen in the next week, his dad agreed to let him move out. Although, he was half expecting Aaron to pop in and say, 'Just kidding.' That or he would go crazy and beat him bloody again like he did two Fridays ago.

It amazed him he had been living in safety for two weeks. It seemed like shorter and longer all at once.

Veronica closed the suitcase she finished packing and walked over to him, stealing a kiss before stepping back and picking up the case, placing it by the door for Wallace or Weevil to carry downstairs. No one, especially Veronica, who was in her overprotective mode, would leave him alone with Aaron wandering around under house arrest. That meant that Veronica never let him out of her sight for more than a second or two at a time, so the heavy lifting fell to their friends.

He pinched his lips together and scratched the back of his neck below the strap for his sling. He'd help them carry everything downstairs, but his whole body had a low-level undercurrent of soreness and Veronica objected when he tried to ditch the sling meant to discourage him from using his rotator cuff a few minutes ago. She was having none of that. She was right, anyway. He'd used the muscles more than he should and Veronica seemed to have a sixth sense about that. Even if he didn't mention it, she somehow knew his shoulder, chest, and upper arm throbbed in time with his pulse, so he wasn't allowed to carry heavy things and everything there was too heavy.

With his gaze bouncing around his soon-to-be former bedroom, he sighed. It was unrecognizable. Trina was a Shutter-fly, so he had tons of family and Fab Four pictures. Before they packed everything there were photos of his mom, Nana, and PopPop covering most of the flat surfaces of the suite.

After picking up the lone picture of his sister and himself off the top of the nightstand, he ran his finger over their smiling faces.

Veronica came out of his closet and glanced at the photo in his grasp before smiling. So, he said, "Trina and I shot this after we stayed up late one blissful night watching horror movies. That evening ties as my favorite memory. For once we didn't argue or pick on each other. Instead, we enjoyed each other's company."

He chuckled. "We even agreed which horror movie franchise is the best." After he gave it to her, she ran her finger over his face and when her finger landed on the hockey mask over their shoulders, she grimaced. "Trina and I took the selfie with Jason on the television behind us because we wanted proof we had agreed with no adults prompting us to get along."

Weevil came into the bedroom from bringing the other nightstand to the van and lifted a milk crate off the floor. He eyed it for a second. "What's with the scrapbooks? Did your mom do them or something?"

There were over a hundred books full of photos, which occupied a small bookcase under the window, so Logan grinned but shook his head. "No, my sister made them. Trina started making scrapbooks before I was born and she always gifts me with a new book every Birthday, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. And when someone I love dies; she makes one filled with images of us together."

Weevil leaned towards him a bit and Logan released a heavy breath in response. "Although they hated each other, she even created one with pictures of Lilly and me. When she was home in February, she left one of Mom."

Shifting the crate in his arms, Weevil closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. "Um, that was nice of her."

His face softened. "She never gives them in person, though. Instead, she hands me a bought gift in front of everyone. The morning she leaves to return to wherever, I wake up with a wrapped package laying on the pillow beside me. There's usually a note saying she's headed back to L.A. or whatever locale is popular with Young Hollywood that week. Anyway, it's kind of our thing. Dad hates them or at least doesn't appreciate them. I've rescued a few of the ones she's given him out of the trash before she could see them in there."

He scowled. "Your grandmother has salvaged a few, too. I keep his in with all of mine on the bookcase. I always figured if she saw them, I could say that Dear Ole Dad thought keeping all her artwork together was best."

Reaching up, he rubbed the back of his neck with his injured hand. "Fortunately, I never had to sell that lie, but I would have to save her feelings. We may not get along most of the time, but I love her and Dad's an ass so..."

Weevil scratched his cheek. "I hear ya about parents being asses. I live with my grandma for a reason. It's cool that your sister makes scrapbooks for you though. Are they any good?"

A chuckle rumbled in his throat and rattled his ribcage causing him to bring his hand to his side and rub at his fractured ribs. After taking the picture Ronnie still had in her hand, he placed it in the crate. "Yeah, she's talented both with a camera and with scissors and glue." He grabbed the book he was in the middle of reading off the top of his remaining bed stand and put it in the crate, too.

Weevil inclined his head and glanced at the book on top of the crate. "You read Lynn Hamilton? Meg loves her stuff, but I couldn't get into all the mushy love stuff. I never pegged you for reading that sort of thing."

After chuckling again, he rubbed his side. "This book is a romance, but I'm only reading it because it was the last book my mom read. Like you, I'm not into the romance genre, so it's taking so long. Plus, there are emotions attached because it's the book my mom was reading before she died."

He shifted on his feet. "Anyhow, I read other stuff from Lynn Hamilton though. She got her start as a romance author, that is true. However, in the twenty years since she published her first book she branched out from romance and now publishes under three names, Lynn Hamilton, Logan Ruiz, and H. R. Lester. Now she turns out romance, mysteries, thrillers, and horror like it's going out of style. The horror stuff is my favorite. It's all psychological horror instead of the monster horror that's so popular right now."

Weevil took a deep breath and then released it so after shrugging, Logan said, "I'm not sure how, but my mom always got me first editions of all her books signed by Ms. Hamilton. I've got the filming scripts for all her T.V. shows and movies and her stage plays, too, all signed 'To Logan, my biggest fan, with love.'"

He leaned closer to him. "Anyhow, if you like mysteries, suspense, thrillers and horror, once I get settled in, I'll make you a list of the books to avoid that are mostly romance." His voice was low like he was imparting a deep secret.

Weevil smiled and nodded so he grinned back. "And before you ask, it'll be easier to write the short list of her romance books and occasional dud than the fifty books that you should check out."

After shifting the crate so he held it with one hand, Weevil bumped fists with Logan. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Opie. I know I like her movies and T.V. shows, which is why I even bothered trying her books that Meg has, but—"

Logan laughed. "The romance ones are horrible, aren't they? Don't worry, I got your back. In fact, if you promise not to drop any of them into a puddle or the sink then I'll lend you my copies."

Weevil's mouth turned into an 'O'. "You're gonna trust me, your mortal enemy, with signed first editions?"

He gave him a shrug. "Well, we're friends now, right? I wouldn't lend them to Dick or his ilk, but you look like a guy who would treat my books with respect. Prove me wrong and we'll have issues again. Prove me right, Paco, and we'll be bff's forever like our better halves would prefer."

Weevil smirked. "You're probably right, Opie." With a shake of his head, he walked to the door, leaned down and grabbed the handle of the suitcase with his free hand and left with the last of the photos and scrapbooks. All that remained of the pictures were their shadows burned into the walls. The sun bleached out the cream-colored paint around where the frames hung for five years. There was dust, too. As good a housekeeper as Weevil's Grandma was, even Mrs. Navarro couldn't reach behind the furniture with any regularity. He was taking everything including the bed, dressers, and bookcases, so the dust bunnies that were hiding from her were now visible.

Since he can't lift heavy things Weevil and Wallace were helping him out and were there long enough to carry the heavy items to the moving van he rented. He asked Mac and Meg if they wanted to help too, but Meg was pregnant with Weevil's sprog so she couldn't lift heavy things any more than he could.

Then there was Mac, she had a thing with her mom, but would finish in time to come help them unpack at his new place, and Veronica said that that suited her just fine. She wanted to keep Aaron from knowing that Mac even existed for as long as possible since she helped Ronnie get him arrested and put on House Arrest. Right now Aaron was clueless, if however, he found out that Logan had a brilliant hacker for a friend, he'd put two and two together and figure out she was there in his house when he was out and undid the precautions he did to make sure no one could realize he was looking at underage teenage porn.

Say what you want about Aaron, but he wasn't stupid, so Logan agreed that keeping Mac safe was priority number one.

Having her there a week after she got Aaron arrested would have made him more nervous even if it was unlikely that the ass would figure it out while she was here.

Weevil and Wallace finished taking the mattress and bed frame, bookcases, entertainment stand, dressers, and one of the two bedside tables that belonged to his mother's parents down to the van a few moments ago.

After standing in his old bedroom for a minute or two, Wallace returned and ran his hand over the final bedstand. "I've never seen these kinds of nightstands, but they suit you."

He peered at it for a few seconds. "I always liked the dark, rich, red cherry wood. The nightstands were my grandparents.' Mom liked them so much she had my suite made to match them. She had the designers put the same tree and leaf carvings on them, too."

He passed his fingertips over the carving that extended onto the drawer and front-facing wood. "The trees etched into the sides always remind me of the cover of Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. The carvings are far more detailed, but it has that same whimsy feel to me."

With his healthy fingers, he caressed the cool brass handle of twisting branches and leaves. The carvings matched the shaker platform bed frame, desk, long-dresser, tallboy, entertainment stand, bookcases, and chaise as if the designers created the whole bedroom set together.

After shrugging, he lowered his arm. "The only thing that doesn't match is the huge wooden chest that sat at the end of my bed. Veronica barely managed to move it before you arrived. She's tiny, my girlfriend, but she's a lot stronger than she looks. Opening doors didn't really feel like helping so she pretty much moved it on her own. Anyway, the trunk has the same vibrant red color of wood. Only instead of the trees and leaves, it has an ornate gold Chinese dragon etched into it. It was a wedding gift from my PopPop to Nana."

Wallace gave a gentle pat to his good shoulder. "That's cool."

He stepped out of Wallace's way. "It was in a back corner of Mom's closet when she died. Dad hates the trunk and always said she should toss it. So, Mom hid it. Nana lost the key years ago. Mom refused to have it taken apart to discover what Nana put inside, and that pissed Dad off to no end."

On the end of a heavy breath, he said, "Honestly, I was afraid he'd smash the thing on principle alone after she kil-led herself." He narrowed his eyes at the crack in his voice, but his friend was kind enough not to mention it, so he soldiered on, "So, I snuck into my parent's suite during the funeral reception and stole it. I didn't want him to destroy it or ship it off to storage with her other possessions."

When Wallace frowned, Logan said, "Now everything in the storage unit is mine. I made sure that the rental agreement has my name on it and not my father's. That way he can't try to steal or destroy Mom's stuff to get back at me for moving out and usurping his authority over me. I didn't want the trunk stored away, though, even if it was safe."

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know why, but I need to have it as close as possible. So, I put it at the foot of the bed where I could always see it."

Wallace glanced around the empty room. "The entire space felt homey, unlike the other rooms."

Logan ran his hand through his hair and winced when the splint on his hand caught in his hair. He gave a slight tug, and the splint came free, though it took a few strands of hair with it. After rubbing at the spot where he ripped out his hair, he shook his head. "Oww! Anyway, Dad had veto power over everything Mom decorated in the entire house. He likes to have magazines come in and take spreads of the mansion, so everything has always had to be to his tastes."

He tried running his hand through his hair again and this time he avoided getting the splint caught so he lowered his hand. "The spreads keep him in the public's mind in between crap piles—sorry movies. My suite was the lone exception. Mom could do whatever she wanted in this room. He always said that no one would ever look in it and if the photographers asked to peek inside, he'd lay it on thick. He respects my privacy, blah, blah, blah, and all that jazz."

When Wallace's eyes widened, Logan thrust his hand in his pocket as much as the brace on his fingers would allow. "So, my bedroom highlights my mother's personality and tastes to a Tee, while the rest of the place is cold and sterile, like Aaron's frozen, black heart."

He shrugged and rocked back on his heels until his ribs protested the use of his core muscles. "I'm not leaving any of my bedroom set behind for him to ruin. It is so quintessentially Mom that I'd never dream of leaving it for him to deface. He's petty enough he'll wreck whatever I don't take with me. If he can't beat me up, he'll destroy whatever remnants of me I leave behind once I'm gone. So, that's why we're taking it all, including my Sleep Number mattress."

Wallace's eyebrows drew together, but he said nothing, so with a pinched mouth and a sour expression, Logan shifted his weight. "Technically, it's my dad's, but I'm betting he won't say a thing now that he knows we hid cameras in here." They were visible now because they removed the bed and dressers, but still.

He slipped his PopPop's lighter out of his pocket. "Is there space for the nightstand?"

Wallace stepped closer to him and placed his hand on his good shoulder. "Don't worry, Logan, we'll make it fit. It's compact enough we could squeeze it into the Xterra if need be."

After taking a step back and saluting him, the moment passed, and Wallace rolled his shoulders before he lifted the stand and walked toward the door. When he reached it, Veronica grabbed the last suitcase and handed it to Wallace.

The teen inclined his head at them and left the room, so Logan glanced around and toyed with the lighter again before striding over to his walk-in closet and opening the doors, taking a last look inside. The space was empty, without so much as a dust bunny inside it, so he returned to the main room as Weevil did, too.

Weevil stared at the television. With a grin on his face, he said, "Okay, you promise your old man's not gonna call the sheriff on me for stealing his big screen?"

He chuckled and rubbed his ribs again. "I got this T.V. for my birthday last year. The one in the pool house was for my fifteenth birthday, so I've got witnesses who saw me receive them both as birthday gifts from Mom. He can't say jack if you take it."

Weevil smirked. "I was mostly giving you a hard time."

He let out a deep breath. "Ordinarily it'd be a valid concern."

With his eyebrows drawn down, Weevil patted Logan's good shoulder before wrapping the cord around his own arm. When Wallace stepped back into the room, they both lifted the Samsung and carried it out to the truck.

He walked into the bathroom and double checked he had everything from the cabinets in there, too. After opening the medicine cabinet, he glared at the extensive first aid kit he bought years ago and after sliding the lighter back into his pocket, he lifted the kit off the shelf and stared at it in his grip.

When arms wrapped around him, he jumped a little in place. Veronica tightened her hold on him but not enough to hurt his injuries. "I doubt you'll need such a well-stocked first aid kit anymore but bring it. You do sometimes have a habit of introducing your fists to other people's faces when they say or do inexcusable things and they return the favor."

"I don't want to be like him, but you're right I should bring it to be safe," he said, turning inside the circle of her arms and pulling her snug against him.

She snuggled into his chest. "You will never be like Aaron, Logan. I know you don't have that sort of evil lying inside you. One day soon you'll outgrow your tendency to throw punches when your peers push your buttons and even if you don't, I think getting into fights when provoked is much different than beating a kid in your care who is weaker than you, both in terms of power and force."

Her words sounded true to him and he wanted to believe her, but every time he got into a fight, he got sick to his stomach. However, he never stopped and thought it through before throwing a punch and that worried him.

He didn't say any of that though and they held each other. When he heard Wallace and Weevil talking on their way up the stairs, he pulled away and wrapped his good arm around her waist before they entered. With the kit in hand, they exited the bathroom. Wallace and Weevil both glanced at the pair before Wallace asked, "You want anything else to go?"

Logan shook his head. "No, I packed everything. Ronnie and I got the things I wanted from the pool house including the television before you guys arrived. It's small, so Veronica took care of that one, and I raided the laundry and searched the other rooms before we took everything from there, including my bed, so I checked under it, twice even."

They laughed at that before he motioned towards the exit. "Shall we blow this Popsicle stand?"

With nods all around, Veronica collected the cameras and held out her hand. "Give me your phone until we leave, Logan."

He didn't question her. She was always one step ahead of everyone else, so he pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her before she beamed at him and they went downstairs. He was twenty feet from the door when his father's cold haughty voice called out from the den, "Forgetting something, Logan?"

He'd prefer to ignore him, but on the off chance what Aaron wanted was important, Logan dragged Veronica into the den and glared at his father.

Aaron held a check sandwiched between his pointer and middle fingers.

After striding to him, Logan grabbed it and looked it over, making sure everything was in order and that he signed it. His eyes widened when he read it, so he cleared his throat. "Uh, I asked for ten grand a month, not a hundred fifty thousand. Did you make a typo?"

Aaron sneered and leaned towards Logan. "It occurred to me that it's my responsibility to keep you in the manner to which you've grown accustomed."

Translation: He'd figured out an angle that would make him appear better in the weary public's eye. Aaron would present himself carefully and make him appear to be an ungrateful brat, but he didn't give two shits what the world thought of him. Veronica loved him, and that's the only opinion that mattered.

Okay, that wasn't true. Mr. Mars'—sorry, Keith's—opinion mattered, too, and so did Alicia's and Wallace's… and Mac, and Meg, and maybe even Weevil's. Okay, so he cared what _some _people thought. The opinions that mattered, though, belonged to those who knew the real him. He didn't give a rat's ass what the bored housewives who read the tabloids thought of him.

His old man, on the other hand, cared very much about their opinions. Right then they and everybody else knew Aaron was a pervert who slept with teenage girls and recorded himself having sex with them. He was exactly what they thought he was and so much more. What people didn't know was Aaron Echolls was a child abuser.

The first time he remembered Aaron hitting him was the week after he turned six. His father broke his cheekbone but didn't take him to the E.R. He should have gotten at least three stitches, though, when Aaron split open the skin of his cheek. If you looked, you could still see the wide, yet faint, scar below his eye from the flashy ring Aaron wore and his cheeks were asymmetrical.

Aaron had beaten him most days since then with the only respite being when he and his mother didn't go when his father was away on location or on a press tour, which, in his humble opinion, wasn't often enough.

Now, though, he and Veronica had accumulated most of his medical records. They could prove Aaron had put him in the hospital dozens of times. He even had a doctor willing to testify what his x-rays meant.

He doubted he'd ever take Dr. 'Just call me Bobby' Lake up on his offer. It was nice having it, though, and it was enough to cause Aaron to allow him to leave with a nice-sized check, too.

He bit his lip and held in a slew of snide remarks from slipping out. At this point, he was getting what he wanted so it would be better not to antagonize him. _'See Dad, I can think before I speak, not that you'll ever recognize that.'_

He didn't let on that he knew Aaron was playing an angle, either, so, instead, he beamed. "Thanks."

Aaron scowled. "Barry will call you this weekend to arrange direct deposit, so I won't have to bother writing a check every month."

It figured he'd put in the least amount of effort possible and not take the time to sign a check once a month for his son. Oh well, Aaron was more likely to forget about the arrangement this way. So, at least he would continue to have those deposits to look forward to. Plus, if he was lucky, as a bonus Aaron wouldn't require him to meet with or speak to him to receive his deposit every month.

He resisted the urge to close his eyes and take a deep breath. He would never turn his back on or close his eyes around Aaron. The evidence his father didn't care for him even a little still hit him like sucker punch every time Aaron did something that made his opinion clear, but Logan said nothing. Aaron narrowed his eyes at him. "Remember, Son, you may not be living under my roof, but you have responsibilities to this family. You will still learn the five languages I told you to learn by your eighteenth birthday or there will be hell to pay. You will not make a fool of me and you will break the record by this time next year or I will express my displeasure in ways that will make the little incident two weeks ago look like nothing more than a hangnail. Understood?"

With a sigh, he nodded. "I won't disappoint you on this. Can I call Barry if I need help finding tutors?"

Aaron scowled again. "Call Barry either way. He knows who I want to teach you each language. I've already warned them you'll be calling so don't make me look like a liar and a fool. That would be the last thing you ever did."

His muscles tensed and he resisted the urge to turn tail and make a run for it and instead backed up while he stepped closer to Veronica. "I'll call and arrange the first tutor for the next week or two."

Aaron grinned. "Good, five more languages will put you five over what that loser who holds the record claims he can speak. I'll expect you to do a press tour with me after your birthday next year and prove that you're fluent in all sixty-two languages. If you give a better showing than he has, that might make up for the colossal disappointment you've been of late."

He didn't respond. If he argued with Aaron's plans or denied that he was a disappointment he would only get himself beat with witnesses, so he continued nodding and backed out of the room before turning towards the door once he reached the hallway. Then he led Veronica and his friends out of his father's mansion for what he hoped would be the last time ever.

* * *

They fit everything into his Xterra, the moving truck, and the Blue Bomber. Three hours later, he, Veronica, Mac, Weevil, Wallace, and his little brother, Darrell, had moved his boxes, suitcases, and furniture into his new apartment in the guest house on Mrs. Fennel's—sorry, Alicia's—property.

He'd been staying there most of the last week and once he deposited his first 'child support' down payment, he would pay her rent.

He pulled the check out of his pocket and peered at it for a minute before placing it in his wallet. It was too late in the afternoon to deposit it, so he'd wake up early the next day and run to the bank. Thank goodness they opened for a few hours on Saturdays. He didn't want to take the chance of Aaron changing his mind and not paying him to stay quiet. If he deposited the check and it cleared, there would still be enough funds to cover his expenses until he turned eighteen and gained access to the first tier of his trust. That would be true even if Aaron didn't follow through and keep paying him. He just had to deposit it in the morning, and it would clear by Tuesday.

He slid the lighter out of his pocket and twirled it between his fingers while he glanced at the clock and his lips tilted upward. Mrs. Fen—Alicia—had insisted that he eat with her and her family when he was home at the right time. He ate dinner with them but breakfast he slept through most days. Bobby insisted after Logan re-injured himself when Duncan kidnapped Veronica, that he home school for the rest of the school year. He wanted Logan to give his body a chance to heal. So, he slept late most days. Well, other than the previous Saturday that is. That day he took his SAT's, despite being in so much pain and finding it difficult to concentrate.

Dinner was in half an hour which would allow him the chance to push most of the boxes into the living area and spare bedroom. He hadn't realized how much junk he had accumulated until he had to move across town. His new digs had a cellar beneath it, though, and many of his boxes went there. The boxes with his video games, books, movies, music, and scrapbooks, though, took up space on the floors of his living room and the extra bedroom. He would go through his stuff in the next few days and put everything away.

When they arrived Alicia told him, "Logan, make sure the boxes and other things don't block the way out of the apartment in case of an emergency." That was such a quintessential mom thing to say, so he exchanged a knowing glance with Wallace and marveled that he was a part of a knowing look involving a parent's care for him.

He came out of his thoughts when Veronica and Wallace came into his brand-new home with his Nana's trunk hanging between them. They were both a little hunched over while they carried it and if he was healthy, he would have helped.

Ronnie made eye contact when she saw him despite the weight of the heavy chest. "I know how important this chest is to you, Logan, so I know you wouldn't want this down in the cellar."

He preferred it at the bottom of his bed, so he had planned to find it and do that. A warmth spread through his chest at the fact Veronica knew him so well. His cheeks heated ever so slightly so because his cracked ribs and busted shoulder couldn't handle its weight, he motioned for them to follow him to his brand-new bedroom with the trunk.

While he walked, he told them both, but mostly Wallace, "The chest was a source of mystery before my mom's death. It's locked and has been my whole life. Mom swore that Nana misplaced the key many years before, but she couldn't bear to part with it due to the sentimental value. She didn't have the heart to have the trunk taken apart either, so although we can tell things are inside, we don't know what they are. She always ended the story by saying, 'But who knows, maybe someday the key will magically reappear when it's most needed.'"

He glanced over his shoulder. "I'm thinking of having somebody take it apart to find out what's inside. I'm curious and have been for as long as I can remember. First, I will go through Mom's things and make sure she didn't hide the key."

Wallace squinted. "You think she hid it?"

He rolled his shoulders and reached up and rubbed his sore one. "Possibly. I wouldn't put it past her. I always got the impression she wanted to keep Dad out of the box. So, right after Mom died, I decided not to search for it, but now I'll be actively looking."

"Sounds like a plan." Wallace nodded after they put the trunk at the base of the shaker bed.

When they stood up, they both took turns giving him a hug before he noticed Ronnie held an envelope. "What's that?"

She grinned and took the few steps towards him, with it held out towards him. "It was on the front stoop and mostly hidden by the doormat when we arrived. It's heavy, and it has your name on it so…"

He dropped the lighter into his pants pocket again and reached out and grabbed the envelope from her but not before stealing a quick kiss. She was right it was heavy. One handed, he shifted his finger under the flap and ripped it open. Inside was a brass key with a number etched on it. With furrowed brows he rubbed his good thumb over the key. "I think it's a safe deposit key like PopPop used to carry on his key chain."

He glanced at Wallace and told him, "His box had the family's essential papers in it. When he was little his house burned to the ground. The difficulties his parents had because of the destruction of their legal documents made him fanatical about keeping those papers in a box at the bank. He wanted them where they'd be safe if the house caught fire again."

With a set jaw, he said, "Mom and Dad argued a couple times that I can remember. She wanted to store their important papers locked up in the bank, too. He said PopPop was a paranoid old man. Now, according to Dad with their fame, the difficulties that PopPop's parents had would be nonexistent. So, he wanted to know why he should waste money on a bank box. Mom didn't have an answer to that."

_'How odd to receive a key on my doorstep.'_ With his healthy fingers on his injured hand, he held the edges of the envelope open and peered inside, finding a typed note. He pulled it out, and read, _'San Diego Peoples Bank. 1309 Monterey Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101.'_

He showed the note and key to them. "It's spring break next week. Do you want to go on a side trip to San Diego on Monday and see what's in the box that goes with this mysterious key?"

Veronica tilted her head before she put her hands on her hips. "Wallace works tomorrow morning, but why aren't you and I going tomorrow?"

He laughed and brushed his fist over his sore ribs, hoping to soothe them. "Well, if I wake up early, we can deposit the check at my bank here in town and then drive to San Diego."

She placed her palm over her heart and batted her eyelashes at him, so he chuckled. "Okay, you convinced me to give up my precious beauty sleep."

With a chuckle, she leaned up and kissed him. "I'll make it worth your while."

He wiggled his eyebrows, but she shook her head. "I was thinking of bringing you breakfast. Bobby said you can't do sexy stuff for another couple of weeks."

Wallace groaned. "And on that note, I'm heading into my house. I'll see you guys at dinner."

With a chuckle, he waved at his friend and sat on the bed before pulling Ronnie onto his lap and pecking the corner of her mouth. "I don't need sex, making out works, too. We haven't connected in a while."

She brushed her nose against the tip of his. "I didn't want to push you too far, too fast. I need you to be at a hundred percent. Your safety and health are more important than kissing you or having sex, far more important. You are more important to me than anything and anyone else in the world, Logan, even my own pleasure."

He leaned in and kissed her again before telling her, "Well, I appreciate that and so do my ribs, but a make-out session or two is do-able."

She didn't answer and instead leaned in and brushed her lips along his. Her hands glided up his chest, around his neck, and into his hair while his tongue slid along the seam of her lips causing her mouth to open for him. He had just brushed her tongue with his when a knock sounded through the apartment.

With a sigh, he pulled away, and she slipped off his lap onto the bed beside him. He rose, and after kissing her one last time, he went and saw who was at the door.

His head tilted to the side when he opened it and found Alicia on the other side. She returned his grin but had her arms behind her back. "Oh good, Wallace assured me you hadn't fallen asleep after such a busy day so when you didn't come over for dinner I thought you might have forgotten."

He waved his head back and forth. "No, we were going through my things. Did we miss dinner?"

She chuckled. "No, but if you don't hurry, Wallace, Darrell, and Keith might eat it all before you get any."

Veronica walked up behind him and put her hand on his back. "I guess we better get a move on, huh?"

Alicia leaned forward but moved her hands from behind her back revealing a wrapped package in them. "First, I got you a little something, Logan. It's not your typical housewarming gift, but Keith mentioned a conversation he had with you the other day about one of these, and I thought it would be proper to let your inner kid run wild now that you're free of your father."

He had no idea what conversation she was talking about or how he could let his inner child run free, but she handed him the gift, so he held onto it with the arm in the sling and tore off the paper with his injured but free hand. Then he laughed.

She got him the Avengers arm sling he told Keith he wanted when he was in the hospital. He didn't get it though. It would have pissed off his father, so he opted for the boring blue sling. The one time he tried to get a fun cast, Aaron almost beat him again right in the middle of the E.R., so he learned that lesson. But now he was free and what his father thought didn't matter, so he clutched his new sling to his chest and beamed at her.

Her grin matched his. "That's what I like to see, Logan, you smiling and laughing. Can I help you switch them out?"

He fiddled with the new sling for a second before he took off the boring sling. She took the new one from him and showed him a message she wrote inside with a silver sharpie. _'Logan, Here's to giving your inner kid what he needs to get well soon—Love Alicia.'_

A tear slipped out of his eye before he wiped it away, and she helped him put on the sling with the Avengers all over it.

Turning to face Veronica, he grinned. "How do I look? Like a complete nerd or what?"

She reached up and kissed him before pulling back. "You look happy and it suits you."

He tossed the old sling into the house where it landed on a box before he turned back to Alicia. "Thank you, just—thank you."

She grinned. "You're very welcome, Logan. We should all have things that make us feel better even when—especially when—we're hurt."

He ducked his head but still grinned. "Should we go make sure there's food left for us? Ronnie might eat _us _if all the food gets eaten before she gets any."

They all chuckled at that and Alicia motioned towards the other building, and the three of them exited his apartment and walked to the main house for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **So after a week of working on this story, I have realized that I can edit written chapters and write new ones fast enough that **I can post this story every week (still on Wednesdays.)** I only realized this today though, so you get this one on a Friday and then the next one will be on Wednesday.

Also, I changed the title of the story. I have it broken into books, which I will post as separate stories, so this should make it less confusing, but **you may need to update any bookmarks** you made in your browser.

Many thanks to my Betas: elise_velez, haleyhazz, His_Beautiful_Girl, Luner Kat, pyrodaemon, and Riverrah. This story would not be nearly as decent as it is without all your input and help.

And for reference's sake: the DL is short for the Disabled List.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Every Word You Said Feels Hollow**

**Saturday, March 19, 2005**

* * *

**Logan's Inspirational Message**

_'And sweetest in the gale is heard;_

_And sore must be the storm_

_That could abash the little bird_

_That kept so many warm.' — Emily Dickinson_

* * *

_In the dark bedroom, Logan's eyes fluttered, and the infinite blankness of oblivion called to him but he struggled and kept his eyes open so he could see what was coming next. _'I didn't call Ronnie,'_ flashed through his mind before his father's hiking boot came crashing down on his hand. _

He bolted up in bed and cradled his hand to his chest, the sharp pain and audible snap of his finger bones breaking reverberating in his mind.

_Thump, thump, thump__. _His heart beat fast and hard against his ribcage. He took a breath in and then let it back out through his nose, and then again and again. Individual breaths caused bright flashes of pain with each inhale, which settled into a dull throb with every exhale. It took a minute, but as his breaths became less harried and forced, the dull ache he'd experienced last week replaced the sharp stabbing pain that happened with every breath right after his father put him in the hospital.

With his injured hand, he reached up with jerky movements and brushed the sweat from his forehead and chin. He wiped his clammy hand on his comforter while reality began to set back in, and Aaron's attack retreated into the recesses of his mind.

The sun had breached the horizon, so he gave rapid blinks into the fading gloom of night, all while glancing around to make sure he really was alone. His body trembled while the sweat on his exposed skin cooled in the air and furthered his shivers. The tension in his muscles uncoiled, and he slumped over sending pain through his ribs. He shifted on the bed until the pain dulled a bit.

'_Just another nightmare.'_ He continued to breathe in and out through his nose for a few minutes, trying to calm his panting. It had been a long night, and he had woken up six times total. The other nightmares usually ended when his father's boot slammed onto Veronica's delicate hand ripping a scream from her battered lungs. Those dreams took him longer to calm down from afterwards.

This time it only took a few minutes of slow breathing and he was better, that is until his alarm shrilled, causing him to jump and announcing that it was six and time to get up and begin his day.

With a sigh and his heart thumping hard in his chest once again, he flopped back onto the bed and groaned when his ribs rubbed against each other. It took a few more minutes to calm his racing pulse and labored breathing again and he took another half an hour just lying there, reveling in being alive, free and on the mend before he got out of bed.

After dragging his sleepy self out of bed, taking off his sling and the splint on his hand, he got into the shower where he lingered. The heat against his sore muscles and broken bones loosened the tightness that had been plaguing him ever since he woke up in the hospital the first time.

All too soon, he stepped out of the shower before he glanced around at his new bathroom. It was much smaller than what he was used to, and the whole apartment was more modest, but that didn't make it any less perfect. It was his, and it was Aaron free.

He dried off, wrapped the towel around his waist, and shuffled into his bedroom where he found Veronica sitting on his bed. Beside her lay a bag he was sure was the mouthwatering source of the scent of sausage, egg, and maple syrup. Breathing in as deep as his broken ribs would allow, he moaned.

She leaned towards him. "The faster you get dressed, the sooner you can eat your breakfast."

He nodded and walked over to his dresser. After picking up the finger splint, he stepped over to her. "Bobcat, can you please help me with this again?"

After giving him a sweet smile, she reached for the splint, taking it. With a gentle grasp, she held his hand and caressed her fingertips over his yellow bruised and broken flesh. She glanced up at him. "The color is getting better."

She took the splint in her other hand. "They should be back to their normal color in a few more days." He didn't comment, and she helped secure the splint to his broken pinkie and ring fingers. When she finished, she placed a kiss to the fingers, and he stepped back over to his dresser.

Veronica had stayed late the previous night and helped him put all his clothes away in the dresser and closet. They weren't sure if it'd all fit but when they finished, there was plenty of room left over, so he could still add to his wardrobe without having to get rid of anything. He also had the closet in the spare room if he needed more space.

After grabbing his boxers out of the top drawer, he slid them on under his towel. When he dropped the towel and turned to toss it in his hamper, he smirked when he spotted Veronica's pouty lips.

He dropped the towel into the basket, walked to her, leaned down, and brushed his lips against hers in a tender caress for a moment before pulling back. "Sorry, but I'm told we're on a timeline."

She chuckled. "We are, and I know better than to expect you to wake up too early, so I'll let it slide this time."

He laughed before he pulled on his cargo pants then he put on deodorant and with a little help from Veronica slipped on an orange and brown striped t-shirt. He and Veronica dealt with his hair next. Styling it to his standards with only one, three-healthy fingered hand was difficult, so whenever she was there in the morning, she'd help. Once they had it styled to his usual perfection, and he put his shoes on, he picked up his wallet and made sure the check was still inside. It was where he put it the day before, so he closed the billfold and slid it, his phone, Epi-Pen, key chain, the safety deposit key, and PopPop's lighter into his pants pockets.

He turned and glanced at Veronica who was still sitting on his bed. After helping him put the Avengers sling on his arm, she handed the bag to him. "Bobby hasn't given you the green light to drive yet, so I'll drive, and you can eat on the way. That way we don't burn anymore daylight than necessary."

He sighed at that. He missed driving his car, but he shrugged and swept his healthy arm towards the front of the apartment, so she rose and walked towards him. When she passed him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his body, before leaning down and kissing her for a long couple of seconds. When he pulled back, he told her, "Good Morning, Sugarpuss."

That brought a grin to her face. "It is now."

With a chuckle, he slung his good arm around her shoulders and led her towards the front door. He let out another sigh while they passed his perfect, beautiful, bright yellow baby parked on the side of the street. The souped up sound system and the tan leather seats with his monogram sewn into them beckoned him. He cast longing glances at his car, he missed the supple leather of the steering wheel beneath his hands and the breeze in his hair while he drove, always a little faster than the speed limit, with the windows down.

With a shake of his head to clear it of his longing, he got into Veronica's black LeBaron and let out another deep breath. He was mostly joking when he once said it must have been a huge cereal box she got her car out of, but let's be honest, it really was a full-sized toy car compared to the magnificence of his Xterra. That his larger than life, action figure girlfriend drove a toy car amused him to no end, though, he would never say that to her.

Her cream pleather seats stuck to him in the way only plastic could. It was a convertible, though, and she had the roof down so at least his hair would blow in the wind, but it wouldn't be the same. And she only had a single cd player. He missed his ten-disk CD changer he had custom installed in his baby.

He said none of that out loud, though. Veronica loved her car as much as he loved his and despite his bruised and battered state, he liked all his parts where they were, thank you very much. Instead, as soon as he had his seatbelt on, he opened the bag with his breakfast in it and pulled out a still piping hot Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddle Sandwich.

By the time they got to the Neptune Fidelity Bank on Main Street, he'd eaten both sandwiches, two hash browns, and downed half his orange juice. They walked into the bank mere moments after it opened and deposited his check. They were in and out and back in the car before he could get anxious about it.

He kept expecting Aaron to jump out from behind something and steal the check back, but when he handed it to the teller, she deposited it without question. So, as long as his father didn't tell the bank he forged it, he should get the money by Tuesday.

He let out another heavy breath, but this one carried his relief with it. Sighing sent a stabbing pain through his side, so after rubbing his ribs, he played with his lighter for a few minutes before he fell asleep and missed most of the ninety-minute drive to San Diego.

* * *

His eyes fluttered when the car stopped, and he woke when Veronica shut off the engine. With a glance around, he sat up and wiped his mouth. _'Nothing worse than drooling on my girlfriend's car.'_ His hand came away dry, though, so he got out and walked around to her side. After she took his battered hand in her gentle grasp, they crossed the street and strolled down the sidewalk towards the bank on the corner.

When they entered, his brows drew down at the over the top opulence of the décor. It appeared the wealthy favored this bank. Gold colored stone swirled through the marble on the floor and he guessed the gold accents everywhere were real gold. Potted plants, almost as tall as he was, stood on either side of the entrance, and every desk he could see had a bouquet on it. Even the teller windows had little bowls with flowers floating in them.

He gave a slight tug on Veronica's hand and pulled her over to the first open teller. He kissed her knuckles before letting go of her hand and reaching into his pocket, taking out the key. Placing the key on the counter, he showed it to the teller. "I'd like to open my safe deposit box."

Her smile didn't reach her eyes and had a plastic quality to it even while she took his key. "One moment, Sir, let me get someone who can help you with that."

He inclined his head and waited while he watched the hand on the big clock behind the counter tick for three minutes before a Manager came over to him. "If you follow me, Sir, I can help you."

The man's blue suit hung off him instead of draping over his slightly paunchy figure and it was obviously off the rack rather than a tailored suit.

He almost gagged when the stench of onion left over from whatever the manager had for breakfast wafted over to him as the man spoke. Logan wrinkled his nose a little and held in the gag but didn't comment on his foul breath. The man led them to an office down a hallway he hadn't noticed earlier.

When they entered the office, he studied the room with its cream carpet, tan walls, a mahogany desk that took up two thirds of the cramped space, and a potted plant that almost reached a few inches above him sitting beside the window. He guessed the bank wanted customers to think about things that grew when they came there so they'd leave their money with them and assume the bank would grow their investments nice and big like all the plants they had on display.

He and Veronica sat in front of the man's desk in chairs so hard their butts would hurt if they were in there for more than a few minutes. The Manager, Mr. T. Norton according to his name plate on his desk, still hadn't introduced himself and Logan reassessed the clientele that bank dealt with. It had big aspirations, and the clients did, too, but you wouldn't catch Aaron in there with such an unrefined man between the public and his hard-earned money.

Mr. Norton took the chair behind the desk. "I understand you wish to access a safe deposit box? You have a key, but I don't recognize you and I'm the one who handles the deposit boxes."

Logan released a heavy breath. So, the man had lofty aspirations, too, or at least delusions of grandeur. Gaining access to the box would not be as easy as depositing his check. Mr. Norton's lips formed a thin line that tried to tilt upward. Logan supposed he meant it to be an encouraging smile, but like the teller's grin, Mr. Norton's also came across as plastic and practiced with his lips forming a thin brittle line. "What name is the box under?"

Logan glanced at Veronica and shrugged. While normally he would boss the man around, he had no idea what the name on the box was though, so he had no clue what to say.

Veronica took the note out of her purse and passed it to Mr. Norton. "Uh, we don't know. Logan got this note left in an envelope with the key on his front stoop yesterday afternoon."

Okay, so for once they were going with the truth. Mr. Norton's eyes got big, and he sat straight. "May I see an ID?"

He fished his wallet out of his back pocket and handed Mr. Norton his license before something resembling a genuine smile grew across the manager's face. "Yes, the owner warned me you would come, but that was months ago so it slipped my mind."

He rose from his chair and handed Logan the note and his license. "Mr. Echolls, if you'll follow me, I'll bring you to the vault."

With a glance at Veronica, he raised an eyebrow. _The truth worked?_ She blinked at him slowly but didn't say anything, so they stood and followed Mr. Norton to the vault with its countless rows of secure boxes.

The manager led them towards the correct one and Logan took the key back from him before unlocking it and tilting his head at Mr. Norton who slid the box out of its space. He'd guess the box measured two feet long, a foot wide, and a foot deep. The man stooped with it and seemed to struggle to hold it up all the way, so he patted himself on the back for not attempting to pull it out. There was no way he would have been able to carry it.

Mr. Norton inclined his head and led them out of the vault and into a little room beside it. The almost dirty mauve walls in the room and the stains that littered the carpet lowered Logan's estimation of the bank even more. The man placed the box on top of the little table. He and Veronica sat before he scowled at Mr. Norton who hovered a little too close. Logan gave him his standard obligatory jackass smirk. "If you don't mind, we'd like some privacy. We'll let you know if we need anything."

The man deflated and Logan guessed that was the most excitement Mr. Norton had ever had. Still, he inclined his head. "Of course, Sir, I'll be right outside."

Logan waved him off without looking at him, the way he'd seen his mother do it countless times before. Once Mr. Norton left, Logan looked at Veronica and leaned in and pecked her lips. When he pulled away, he placed his hand on the metal lid, and his mind flashed on the last time they opened a safe deposit box together.

That time it was her mother's box, and they found fifteen grand and surveillance photos of Veronica with a sniper's target Photoshopped over her face. Clarence Wiedman sent them to scare off her mom, after she threatened to demand a DNA test and take Jake Kane for billions.

In response, Mrs. Kane scared her off, or perhaps she wasn't even aware of Lianne's threats. Maybe she just knew that her husband was in love with Lianne and she wanted to make sure he didn't get ideas in his head about leaving his family for his mistress.

Before he lifted the lid, he frowned. "What are the chances that the contents of this box are better than the money and photos of you we found in your mom's box?"

She took his hand in hers and gave a gentle squeeze. "If it came from your mom, or rather someone she entrusted this with, then I'd say the chances are good, but we have no clue who left the key on your doorstep or their motives, so it's a crap shoot."

He sighed and rubbed his ribs before he squared his shoulders and lifted the top, looking inside. There were stacks of crisp hundred-dollar bills with the currency strap on them stating that they had a hundred bills in each pile. He counted while he took them out and laid them on the table beside the box. Two piles each with thirty bundles of cash lying in front of a near to bursting file folder.

_'Damn! Six hundred thousand.'_ He assumed it was now his. They'd have to see if the bank could transfer at least half of it into his account. His sleep would be for shit even more than it already was if he had that much money lying around in his apartment.

After moving the money, he opened the overflowing folder. Inside he found copies of titles and deeds to multiple properties and vehicles and two lists. The first list had bank names, account numbers, and passwords. The second list looked like lawyers and accountants. Beneath the lists lay two envelopes.

He gave the lists, titles, and deeds to Veronica, and opened the first envelope. A single sheet of paper lay inside. He unfolded the page, and Chanel No. 5 wafted from it. After closing his eyes, he savored the scent he hadn't encountered since his mom jumped off the Coronado Bridge, before he opened his eyes and read, _'Dearest Logan, Use the keys of my heart to give us our freedom and reveal all of my secrets. __— Love, Mom.'_

He handed that sheet to Veronica who read it and looked at him. "She's talking about her charm bracelet right? The one with the hearts and keys on it."

While he scratched the back of his neck and under the strap of his sling, he shook his head. "I think so. She always wore it, and I remember that she was wearing it that day at the school. Her fingers toyed with it over and over and my eyes kept going to it every time she fiddled with it while we waited for Dad to show up. So, unless she took it off before... jump-ing…"

Veronica ignored the crack in his voice again and leaned towards him, wrapping her arms around him. Unable to help himself, he buried his face in her hair and cried.

When he pulled away, Veronica wiped his tears away. The corners of her lips lifted upward. "The clue is obvious so what happened to her car?"

His lips tilted up before he told her, "It was in her name only, so it's in the storage unit that Dad put all her stuff in."

Veronica leaned into him. "In Neptune?" He inclined his head, so she grinned. "Let's see what's in the other envelope, and you can deposit at least some of this money into your account, and we can head back to Neptune and see if the bracelet is in the car."

He sat back and picked the second letter up before opening it.

_'My Dearest Logan, if you're reading this, my life as Lynn Echolls is over. Whether it was from a natural progression of our life or something of my doing, either way, it was the only way to give us both our freedom. I have taken steps to take care of you. You will never need or want for anything, ever, regardless of what Aaron does or doesn't do for you. I set it up so the bank will notify my lawyer when you access this box__. He will call you soon and arrange for you to receive your full inheritance._

_I haven't been a good mother to you. I never should have hid the truth. I should have left Aaron the first time he hurt you, and I __regret that I took over fifteen years to do something about it. I have faith that once I am gone, Veronica will help you escape him. She's a clever girl. She will figure out how to help you break free._

_Veronica was always my favorite and I would have loved to welcome her into our family someday. Love her with all your heart and hold on to her for the rest of your life. I doubt you'll ever find a girl better suited to you who will love you more than she does._

_You're my pride and joy, Logan. I regret that I made you doubt that, made you feel unloved and unwanted. I am so sorry for not being the mother I should have been. Though, I hope you'll tell your children only happy stories of me._

_I love you more than life itself and this was the only way I could see us both making a clean break, the onl__y choice I felt we had. I hope one day you'll forgive me for abandoning you all those years ago, but even if you don't, I hope you know that I love you and you are my greatest creation. I'll miss you every day we're separated, and you will always be on my mind._

_Live, Laugh, and Love with all your heart, and you will continue to be my greatest triumph, the one I am most proud of. I will watch over you. __— Love Always, Mom.'_

Veronica reached up and wiped the tears off his cheeks before pulling him into her arms. He buried his face in her shoulder again and let the grief he locked away in a box when they put an empty casket into the family mausoleum surface and flow out of him. He had no idea how long he held on to Veronica, but when he pulled away, he wiped his cheeks and handed her the letter.

She read it and wiped her own tears away, but then she reread it and tilted her head to the side. He knew that head tilt. She picked up on something she found interesting, so he asked, "What? Did I miss something?"

She looked at him and shook her head. "No, I just wonder when she wrote it and the wording is funny, but I can't figure out why I think so."

He rubbed his chin before he handed her the cash which she put in a canvas tote she took out of her messenger bag. She placed the folder and two letters into the bag, too.

When they exited the room, he stopped in front of Mr. Norton. "Can you tell me the last time someone accessed the box?"

The manager tilted his head to the side. "We don't keep records of that sort of thing, but I remember that Mrs. Echolls came and saw us two days before her tragic passing."

He grimaced at the mounting evidence that his mom premeditated her suicide. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing like he thought. He shook the manager's hand and walked to the teller and had them transfer half the cash into his bank account back in Neptune.

Once the money transferred, he strode out of the bank. Turning, he stomped down the street but when he got to a trash can, he stopped and kicked it hard, pulling his sore muscles in all the wrong ways, but he kicked it again, anyway.

Veronica placed her hand on his back. "Logan?"

He shook his head. "I'm okay, it just stings that she planned out her leaving me behind. I always figured the heat of the moment got the best of her, and she didn't control the impulse to end it all. This letter, though, it shows that she planned her suicide for at least two days before she went through with it. She actively left me behind, and I don't know how to feel about that."

He ran his hand through his hair. "I mean, I know my mom loved me. She did, but maybe she didn't love me as much as she should have. If we ever have kids, I can't imagine the thought of leaving them behind, and our children don't even exist yet. How does a parent think it's okay to leave their kid behind, especially if you're leaving him stuck with an abus_—_an ass_—_once you're gone? How could she think it was okay to leave me?"

Veronica moved around him so she stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around him before speaking into his chest. "I don't know, Logan. I can never imagine_ m_e leaving you, and I'm not your mom. Like I've said before, I know she loved you, so it makes no sense to me either. It's okay to be mad at her though. She chose wrong, Logan, and you're allowed to feel whatever you feel over that. There is no wrong emotion here."

He tightened his old on her for a second before pulling away and wiping his cheeks. After glancing around, he let out a little breath when everyone walking by ignored them and failed to recognize him, so he took Veronica's hand in his and led her down the street, and they crossed and got back into the LeBaron.

* * *

He played with his PopPop's lighter for the whole ride back to Neptune, flipping and turning it in his hand over and over. They hit a little traffic, so the drive took over two hours. Veronica seemed to ignore the clicking every time he flicked the top of the lighter up and then clicked it closed.

They passed the Neptune City Limits at ten minutes to one and while she drove Veronica glanced at him for a second. "Do you want to go home and eat something and head over to the storage facility after? Or do you want to go search your mom's car first?"

He sat and thought for a moment. "I think I want to look in the car now and I'll think about eating something once I know she didn't forget. If I try to eat first, I might toss my cookies. What if she forgot to take the bracelet off? She was pretty upset, so she could have been so focused on ending it that she forgot to take it off."

Veronica reached over and squeezed his hand before she looked both ways and then took the turn, driving towards the U-Save-It storage facility. They created it with oh-niners in mind, so it was a collection of massive warehouses in the most inland part of the town. It had storage units inside climate controlled, well-lit buildings with aisles wide enough and ceilings tall enough to get a good-sized pickup through.

After Dear Ole Dad's lawyer, Barry, read his mom's will, Logan changed the code Aaron used and replaced it with a ten digit one. He would have made it longer but the locks at the facility could only handle ten-digits. He had Mac to thank for the suggestion of creating as long a code as possible and he couldn't get out there fast enough to change it once she mentioned it to him over lunch after he and Veronica got outed as a couple.

With a shake of his head, he focused on the here and now and once inside, he led Veronica to his unit and unlocked it. He lifted the door enough it carried itself the rest of the way up before he turned the light on.

Using the spare key his mom gave him when she bought the car, he unlocked it and opened the door. After he sat down in the driver's seat, he slid it back, making room for his long legs, before leaning over and opening the glove compartment. He pulled out a stack of papers including the registration and a half-full flask. His hand moved around the around the compartment, he found nothing but air. It wasn't there. "Dammit."

When he sat back up, he looked through the windshield at Veronica before shaking his head and blinking a couple times to keep the tears at bay.

Veronica moved closer and stood beside his door, before she tilted her head again. "Logan, what's that under your seat?"

He adjusted the steering wheel as much as he could and bent before he looked between his legs, but saw nothing, so despite the pain it caused, he leaned down and swept his hand under the seat. The tips of his fingers snagged something, so he pulled it out until his mother's good-luck charm bracelet dangled from his fingers. A chuckle bubbled out of him. "Well, I'll be damned, she remembered her plan and took it off!"

Veronica grinned and stepped back when he opened the door. He slid out of the Viper before walking to a box he previously packed to make sure Aaron wouldn't go through its contents and pilfer the jewelry and other little mementos his mom collected. After picking it up one handed off the stack of boxes it rested on, he barely turned before Veronica took it from his arm. "You're still not supposed to be lifting things."

Laughter rasped out of him despite the slight discomfort the action caused in his ribs. "It's not even heavy."

She shook her head. "Uh huh, do you want to risk being on the DL for longer than necessary?"

He shook his head back and forth but smirked. "Have I told you how much I love it when you use sports terminology?"

She snickered and told him, "What can I say? I love sports."

With a tilt of his head, he toyed with the edge of his sling using his uninjured fingers. "No, you love your dad and baseball. Baseball you'd watch on your own. You watch other sports only because your dad loves them, and you get to spend time with him if you watch the games, too."

She shrugged. "Well, sure." She paused. "But you knew what the DL is, didn't you? So, what's your excuse?"

He smirked. "I think I'd lose my guy club membership if I didn't know what the Disabled List is."

Veronica grabbed his hand with her free one. "You would at that." She looked up at him. "Anything else you want to take home with you?"

He swung his head back and forth a few times and told her, "No, I mean I'll end up going through it all at some point, but I don't want her jewelry anywhere Aaron can get to it, especially once he realizes I went into their safe and took out all the jewelry she had in there. I checked with my lawyer, Franklin. Anything Dad gave her as a gift is mine now. Because they were never legally married, she cut him out of her will, and left him nothing, the jewelry is mine, and you better believe I took it all. Most of it I'll sell because it's from Aaron and we both hate him, but some of it my mom bought or chose for herself and he gave it to her as a gift."

She tipped her head to the side. "After you decide what you're keeping, you could put it all into a safe deposit box of your own to keep it safest."

He grinned. "That's an excellent idea. That way there will be no way Aaron can get to it, well other than killing me and I already drew up a will that my mom signed off on as my guardian at the time that leaves everything I have to you and Trina so even then he wouldn't get jack."

A scowl formed on her face. "I don't want your money, Logan."

He wrapped his free arm around her. "I know you don't, and _I_ don't want to leave you, so I hope we'll get my wish and the will won't matter. My being out of Aaron's house makes it less likely that I'll need one so…"

She sighed but hugged him back before pulling away and after they glanced around for a second, she led him out of the unit by his hand. After putting the box in the back seat of her car, she came back and pulled the door of the unit closed. That would hurt his ribs too much.

* * *

When they got back to his apartment, he let them in, and Veronica walked straight to his bedroom. She put the box with his mother's jewelry onto the dresser before she took his mom's bracelet and stepped over to his nana's chest. Her shoulders drooped, and she dropped her chin to her chest before her lips turned downward a moment later. She turned and pouted. "They're too small."

After taking the bracelet from her, he peered at it and sure enough, the keys dangling from the chain were far too tiny. He sat on his bed with the charm bracelet full of keys and hearts in his hand, his down-turned lips matched Veronica's while he tried to figure out what the keys belonged to. With a deep, melancholy sigh, he handed the bracelet to her. "Guess we were wrong."

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his grandfather's lighter, turning it round and round and upside down in his hand. When he flipped the lid open, Veronica grabbed his hand and tilted the whole lighter so she could look at the bottom. Her eyes lit up, and she grinned. "Can I see it?"

With narrowed eyes, he handed it to her. She closed the lid and tried sliding the various keys from the bracelet into the little slot she found on the bottom. The second to last key popped the bottom off and she grinned. "Ah hah," and tilted the lighter showing him the hidden compartment with another bigger key inside it.

Veronica bounced on her toes. "I bet that's the key to the chest."

After grinning at her, he tilted his head. "I agree, but why do you think so?"

She rolled her shoulders, limbs loose. "Your mom _always _said that one day the key would magically reappear. Your mom hid it in a hidden compartment of a lighter a POW acquired during the Korean War. We found the key to that compartment on a charm bracelet that your mom hinted at in a mysterious letter in a safe deposit box. If those aren't as close to magic tricks as we can get, then I don't know what is."

With a chuckle that caused his ribs to object, he grabbed his side. "Fair point. You want to see if you're right?"

Her eyes lit up probably in anticipation of solving a mystery. She raced the few steps to the chest sitting at the foot of his bed. She stared at him for a minute and bent down a little and slid the key into the hole before giving a gentle twist. With an audible click, the top of the chest popped open. His smirk spread across his face, and he told her, "Well, how about that? It worked."

She grinned, so he got up and walked to her before pulling her upright and kissing her. When they separated, he glanced at the chest. "Let's see what's inside, shall we?"

She lifted the lid all the way open, and they found boxes of varying sizes with stacks of paperwork, over two hundred thick journals that took up most of the space, and five smaller tin boxes on top of the journals. He opened one of the tin boxes and found it full of twenty-five or thirty thumb drives. Three of the other tins had more thumb drives, but the last tin box had a stack of credit cards and a handful or two of bank books. The name on the cards and bank books was Lynn Hamilton.

_Wait, Lynn Hamilton? Like my all-time favorite author, screenwriter, and playwright who has won more awards than God? That Lynn Hamilton?_

He looked at Veronica who watched him back while she hovered over him, probably wondering if the contents would send him into despair. His lips tilted up a little. "Can you go get me my laptop off the dining room table?"

With a beaming grin, she raced from the room before returning a moment later with his computer in her hands. He took it from her and after sitting on the bed, he inserted one of the thumb drives. When the drive opened, he saw hundreds of folders. All the names of the folders were familiar to him and anyone who hadn't lived under a rock for the last twenty years.

He opened one of them and found three folders, marked 'Chapters,' 'Old,' and 'Research.' Besides the three folders he also found a word doc titled 'A Vow and a Ring_FINAL,' which was the title of Lynn Hamilton's very first published book and one of the bestselling books of all time.

The folder marked 'Old' had over a hundred Word docs all with the name 'VR.' After he clicked on the first file marked, 'VR_vs 001,' he scanned the first couple of pages of the document before he opened the last file named 'VR_vs 110.' Reading the first few pages of it told him it was the last or second to last draft of the book and the one marked vs 001 was the first draft.

After closing both word docs, he looked at the other folders. The chapters folder had all the versions of the chapters and the research folder had Word docs, pictures, and Wav files the last of which had the label 'Pronunciation' followed by other words, such as 'dedushka' and 'babushka.'

He peered at all the main folders on the drive. There were over three hundred folders, and all the names were ones he recognized from books, movies, television shows, and plays. The dates on the folders and files for more than half of the titles were within a month of his mother's passing, like she had recently transferred the files from another disk, but some of the titles were first published over twenty years ago.

He glanced up at Veronica. "It looks like the research, first and last drafts and all the ones in between for Lynn Hamilton's books, movies, plays, and T.V. shows. I don't—how does my mom have all of this and in her secret box no less? My mom once said she had an inside track to Ms. Hamilton, and that's how she got me all her books and scripts signed, but I figured it was because Mom starred in a few of her films and shows but that doesn't explain how she has all this."

Veronica moved the computer and sat beside him. She took his hand in hers and gave a gentle squeeze before telling him, "I don't know, Logan, but do you think your mom was actually…"

She trailed off and his eyes widened, and he looked up from their joined hands. "Wait, you think my mom was Lynn Hamilton?"

Veronica's brow wrinkled. "You've got credit cards and bank books for a bunch of accounts, so, yeah, unless your mom stole her identity, the chances are good she was both women."

He narrowed his eyes and scratched his forehead. "If that's the case why didn't she tell me? I mean she started giving me her books and scripts right after we moved here. The first one was mom's housewarming gift to me. She said that after watching how well I cared for the first edition Ian Fleming books PopPop gave me for my tenth birthday she thought I was responsible enough to grow a collection of first editions that was all mine outside her collection. Hers are all in the storage facility now and mine are in the packed boxes in the living room."

He shook his head. "Why wouldn't she say anything though? I mean I would spend hours gushing about each book and she'd just sit there and promise to send my approval on to Ms. Hamilton. And how would she sign them so I wouldn't recognize her handwriting? They look different from her usual handwriting."

Veronica lifted one shoulder before dropping it and then turned his laptop to face her and opened his browser before typing in the address of one of her dad's PI sites. She typed in Lynn Hamilton and pressed enter. Little popped up except the bank accounts they had the books for. In fact, the lack of info on the site sent up red flags for him, and he could tell from Veronica's narrowed eyes and her chewing on her lip that it struck her as odd, too.

He rifled through the stack of bank books and papers and found some legal paperwork that answered at least a few of his questions. Lynn Lester created Lynn Hamilton about five years before she pseudo-married Aaron and publicly became Lynn Echolls. Logan Ruiz and H. R. Lester followed two years later but didn't seem to have any accounts associated with them.

Now that he thought about it, it all seemed obvious. Hamilton was his mom's paternal Grandmother's maiden name and Logan wasn't just his name, it was also his PopPop's first name, and Ruiz was his Nana's maiden name. Lester was his mom's maiden name and the 'H' in H. R. was probably from his Nana's first name, Honoria. Though he supposed the 'H' could also be for Hamilton and the 'R' For Ruiz. Lynn Hamilton's pseudonyms made so much more sense now and he didn't know how he didn't figure it all out before.

He showed Veronica the paperwork, and while she browsed through it, he looked through the rest of the box. He found an oblong jewelry box and opened it. Inside was a tennis bracelet with pink stones that mimicked a crown with a row of small diamonds below the tear-shaped pink stones. He found a note tucked into the box. _'Dearest Lynn, Here is a token of my affection besides the keys to my heart, which you already have. I hope you'll __return my calls, but I'll respect your wishes and not contact you again if you don't wish to speak with me. — Josef.'_

He showed Veronica the bracelet and paraphrased the note before her lips turned down. "That's odd. Any clue who this Josef guy is or when he gave it to her? Or what type of stone that is? They're too dark to be diamonds, but they don't look dark enough to be rubies."

He tilted his head to the side and studied the stones, trying to recall everything his father had drilled into his head about 'quality' jewelry. "Could be Pink Sapphires, though those are rare, but they look like they have the right color clarity to be Sapphires. As for who he is and the date, I've never heard of a Josef, with or without that spelling, and it's dated around the time my parents met, June thirtieth of 1987. They met on July fourth and had a one-nightstand that became more but they didn't start publicly dating until the first week of August and got pretend married in a private ceremony on Halloween. Mom always said I surprised them by coming in late March instead of mid-April."

He slouched. "My understanding is it was a shotgun wedding. They met, they dated and slept together for a while, not necessarily in that order and when they found out she was pregnant they got married like a month later. Mom didn't want me born out of wedlock, worst decision of her life. We would have been so much better off without him. Of course, Daddy Dearest being the controlling ass he is, didn't file the license within the thirty-day time limit from the ceremony, so I guess technically Dear Ole Dad was right all those times he called me a little bastard."

His shoulders drooped, and he shook his head. "Diane, Trina's mom, got a huge divorce settlement, something like half his estate and tons of alimony and child support. So, my gut says he did it on purpose and never intended to file the license, so Mom would get nothing if she left him. Since he forced her to stop working and on the rare occasions she worked, anything she made went into his account, he got to keep all that. If she had filed for divorce and discovered they weren't married, since California doesn't recognize Common Law Marriages, he wouldn't have had to give her a penny. I think that was what he meant when he said he would leave her with nothing when they argued the day she died."

Veronica inclined her head but resumed reading while he took out a velvet bag wedged between the side of the trunk and a stack of journals. A ring box sat inside the bag with his nana's wedding ring nestled in velvet, a sterling silver piece with the sides of the ring acting as branches and little emeralds depicting the leaves and a small ruby in the middle. His father always said that it was too small, and Aaron would get angry if Mom tried to wear it, stating that it made him look cheap that his wife wore such inferior jewelry.

Logan liked it, though. It was understated, and it didn't overpower the wearer's hand. The thought that when he asked Veronica to marry him, he would do so with that ring had been in his mind for a long time now. He hoped she'd want to wear it. Nana wore it from the day she got engaged when she was seventeen until her death when she was seventy-one. She once told him, right before she died, that during the fifty-one years she was happily married to PopPop, she only ever took it off once, when one emerald popped out. Once she got it back from the jeweler's it stayed on her hand until her death when his mom slid it off her finger.

Nana made it clear before she died that she wanted him to have it, so he could give it to his future wife. Aaron had tried to toss it into the garbage disposal one time, so his mom hid it, though until then he hadn't known where it was.

With a mischievous upturn to his lips, he showed Veronica the ring, and she looked away from the document she was reading and then looked back at the papers before jerking her eyes back to the ring and going, "Whoa, pretty," with the last word said in a quick rush of air as if he had sucker punched her.

He chuckled. "Do you like it?"

She beamed at him and reached towards it before tilting it a little in his hand so the light caught in the stones. "It's beautiful, Logan."

He gave a shy grin and told her, "It was my Nana's engagement ring. I plan to give it to the woman I ask to marry me." His smile grew. "Will you agree to wear it when that day comes, or would you want a different ring?"

She tilted her head. "You're serious? You've been thinking about marriage?" After he gave an emphatic nod, her lips turned upward. "Well, good. If I get my way, you're stuck with me for the rest of our lives, and, for the record, I will proudly wear that ring for all the years we're married, ya know, once you ask."

His chuckle rumbled in his chest and he brought his hand to his ribs. "Good, but I think your dad would object to me proposing before we graduate so I will keep this in a safe place and give it to you when the time is right."

She gave him a gentle grin and leaned over and kissed him. They remained in each other's arms with their lips pressed together until her stomach growled a little later. He laughed. "Time to feed the hungry beast?"

She giggled, so he stood and led her out of his bedroom towards his front door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Many thanks to the betas who worked on this chapter: haleyhazz, His_Beautiful_Girl, and pyrodaemon, and the idea factory: Luner Kat.

I started a Pinterest Board for the story called 'Pictures for ALMH Series' under the name Saoirse Kinnardy.

I also made a playlist for this story on Spotify, called 'ALMH 02: The Winds and Rains and the Scorching Sun.' Find it by searching for the title under playlists.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**All I Wanted was You**

**Saturday, March 19, 2005**

* * *

**Logan's Inspirational Message**

_'A true relationship is someone who accepts your past, supports your present, and encourages your future.' — Unknown_

* * *

Veronica's marshmallow body wash combined with her Promises perfume, with the honeydew undertones, wafted into Logan's nose. He breathed in as deep as possible without ruining the pleasure with pain. Fingers ran through hair to encourage the scent to fill his nostrils. Lips moved over each other's and tongues explored the caverns of mouths. Taste buds picking up the taste of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, fudge, whipped cream, and a hint of maraschino cherries. The specter of the sundaes was almost more pleasurable than when they ate them for lunch after arriving at Veronica's apartment.

She pulled him closer, and while her response sent a thrill through him, he also winced when broken ribs ground together. Ever observant, she must have noticed the flinch, so she pulled away before kissing a cheek. "I'm sorry, Lo', I lose track of my thoughts when we kiss and my head spins with dizziness and all I feel is you. But I didn't mean to hurt you."

With a smirk, he leaned in and kissed her nose. "So, what you're saying is, it's my fault for kissing so well?"

She gave a rare giggle and nodded nice and slow before giving another soft kiss. Other than Backup, out in the living room, the pair was alone, so he pulled her back into his arms and brushed their lips together. The phone had other ideas, though and just as lips settled on lips, the shrill ring broke the silence.

He had a habit of assigning special rings to the people he wanted to talk to but this ring was just an ordinary ringtone. Although, it wasn't the violins screeching from the shower scene in Psycho, so not Aaron either. The prospect of the caller being Barry, to talk about getting his money deposited, was enough to get him to look at the caller ID.

Despite it being a weekend, Aaron would expect Barry to figure everything out by Monday morning. So, with a groan, he pulled away from Veronica and her tempting cherry flavored lips before taking the phone out of the pocket.

Nope, not Aaron's attorney, and not a number he recognized, so hesitation took over before he pushed talk and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Yes, Hello, this is Jacoby Wolfe. Is this Mr. Logan Echolls?"

A heavy exhale of air rushed out of his lungs, causing muscles to stiffen with a stab of pain. "This is him."

Mr. Wolfe let out a breath, too. "I was one of Lynn Echolls', I mean your mother's, attorneys."

Eyes widened when the man said Lynn's name, but Mr. Wolfe kept talking. "I am calling to inform you I have sent paperwork and a request for a meeting in care of Keith Mars at Mars Investigations."

With a hard swallow that was audible, he then cleared his throat and leaned closer to Veronica. He wished the hand not holding the phone wasn't in a sling so he could cling to his security blanket. "What sort of paperwork?"

Mr. Wolfe hesitated. "It's regarding Ms. Echolls' last will and testament."

He let out a quiet, frustrated sound and wanted to run a hand through his hair. However, the arm in a sling kept him from doing it and still holding onto the phone. "Barry already read the will, so care to try again?" Voice straining on the word 'will.'

The man paused. "Your mother had two estates and therefore two wills, or rather one will and one living trust. Mr. Echolls' attorney read the will. It comprised the assets Mr. Echolls knew of, the art collection bought with his guidance and most of a vast first edition collection."

Mr. Wolfe paused again but when no response came, the man said, "The living trust holds the rest of the assets. She kept them from Mr. Echolls and left them in my care after her passing. That includes those assets accumulated under the name Lynn Hamilton. I would have contacted you sooner, but the instructions were to wait until you opened the safe deposit box. Also, I needed to settle the estate's affairs before I transferred the living trust to your name. California does not recognize Common Law Marriages and while your mother and Mr. Echolls wed, neither ever filed the marriage license in any state or foreign country. That makes the marriage void according to California Law. When Mr. Randall administered the will, Mr. Echolls submitted an affidavit that stated that there was no license in any state or country. That means the law does not entitle Mr. Echolls to half of her estate so everything goes to you, her sole heir."

The voice paused, so eyes closed, head leaning against the wall, he fought back tears. Circumstance just didn't seem to want to let the wound of his mother's death heal before yet another person brought her up. Still, Mr. Wolfe wasn't saying much he didn't already know. "I was already aware of that. My father was not happy when Ole Barry convinced him to tell the truth right after Mom died. But Barry pointed out that the press would figure out the lie which would affect public opinion and he'd still get nothing from Mom's estate."

Papers shuffled in the background. "The authorities might have had grounds to charge Mr. Echolls with fraud. He made a wise choice, being honest about the lack of a marriage license. Now, there wasn't much debt. However, I paid off what the estate owed and collected what others owed to it, which was considerably more. Everything is now ready to transfer the living trust to a trust that you will gain partial access to upon turning eighteen. And you'll gain full access upon your twenty-eighth birthday. Ms. Echolls did, however, set the trust up so you will receive an allowance every month until then. That is why I need to meet with you and get account information. I need the number for the account you wish the funds deposited into each month. I also have the papers detailing the terms of the trust and all the assets for your lawyer to review."

At some point, Veronica had put a hand on his shoulder, and began rubbing with a thumb in slow strokes while he listened. When Mr. Wolfe finished, he leaned towards Veronica. "The paperwork sent to Mr. Mars; is your contact information on it?"

"It is and also includes an unofficial copy of the paperwork I will give to your attorney when we meet."

He shifted on Veronica's bed and leaned against the wall. Bringing a knee up to his chest with a foot still on the bed, he used a shoulder to hold the phone and took Veronica's hand. "Okay, I'll ask Mr. Mars about it when he gets home, and I'll read it and have my attorney read over everything before we contact you. I'm healing from some serious physical wounds, so it might take a week or two for me to get through everything."

Mr. Wolfe's sincerity came across in the timber of his voice. "That's fine, take all the time you need. You won't gain access to the first tier of the estate for another year. However, you will have access to the residences and the items in those residences as soon as we meet, and the transfer is complete."

_'Wait, residences? Plural?'_ "Uh, how many residences are we talking?"

The voice chuckled. "Nine in total: your grandparents' house in Mt. Etna, Indiana; a vacation home in Maui; a Townhouse in Manhattan, NY; and homes in Beverly Hills; Marathon, Florida; Venice, Italy; Nice, France; one outside of Colchester, England, and a recent purchase in Bucharest, Romania."

At the word 'nine,' his eyes went round as dinner plates. "How did I not know about them? Aaron made Mom sell Nana and PopPop's house."

Mr. Wolfe paused again. "Yes, and she didn't want to part with it, and so she used her pseudonym to buy it from herself."

_'Wait, she bought the house from herself?'_

"Um, isn't that illegal, because that smells funny?"

The attorney chuckled again. "I assure you; it was all legal. Ms. Echolls moved money from the private account and used it to pay Mr. Echolls, after leading him to believe the money was for the sale of the house. However, she never sold it, only transferred ownership to her pseudonym. Because she moved the money from a private account to an account shared with Mr. Echolls, and there was never a bill of sale, it was all legitimate."

When his head inclined, he had to let go of Veronica's hand to keep from dropping the phone. "Okay, well, I'll call when I've looked at everything."

Mr. Wolfe's sincerity was once again clear in his tone of voice. "Very well, Mr. Echolls, I wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to your call."

After disconnecting the call, he sagged in place, and with a trembling hand gripped Veronica's again. A few moments of holding her hand, his voice came out quaking. "The bank records we found were right. Mom had more than the hundred fifteen thousand that Barry told us about. Sounds like it's maybe more than the accounts we found the books for, too. Not sure how much more, but if her assets included nine homes, it's a lot more."

Veronica's eyes got big and round, and when he finished explaining, they sat there in silence for a few minutes thinking over everything.

After sitting for a moment, Veronica took the phone out of her pocket and dialed. "Hi, Dad, weird question, has anyone delivered paperwork to the office for Logan today?" A pause. "Did you open it?" Another beat. "Okay, can you bring it home?" A nod. "Hmm, yum. Okay, see you soon. Love you."

When she hung up a moment later, she made eye contact. "A thick envelope arrived about half an hour ago with your name on it, so Dad didn't open it. He wanted to respect your privacy." Another pause. "Well, to a point. The envelope has Mr. Wolfe's name and address, and since the return address states he's an attorney, Dad ran a background check. From what he found, the guy is legit. He'll be home in about an hour and a half after finishing up at the office and stopping at Mama Leone's to pick up dinner."

Logan pulled Veronica back into his arms, face buried in her hair, nose brushing hair away from her neck. With a soft kiss, he grazed the skin with his lips but then pulled back a little and held on tight. A minute later they shifted and lay down and with her wrapping him in her embrace despite the tidal wave the movements caused in the waterbed. _'__She always knows what I need and when I need it.'_

"I love you, Logan."

After tightening his hold, he whispered, "All the love in my heart."

Veronica released a heavy breath and snuggled in closer while he returned his nose to her hair and breathed in the aroma of marshmallows left over from her shampoo. Tears leaked out of his eyes against his will and his hold tightened a little. "Why didn't Mom love me enough to stay? If she had money hidden from her writing career, or she tried to divorce him and discovered they never legally married that would have solved all our problems. Even if she didn't get a penny from the ass, she might have sold some houses and gotten money that way if need be. Or she might have gone back to acting."

After pulling away a bit, he made eye contact. "She was a damn good actress, better than Daddy Dearest who knows how to act if he bothers to put in the effort, but he got lazy or greedy. Or probably both and started taking the highest offers for the least amount of work. If Mom were selective, she could have built her name back up and been the serious actress she always wanted to be."

With a huff, his head shook. "She had to be decent or she wouldn't have won an Oscar. So did Aaron but then he made the movies that would pay the most and they're all lowest common denominator slop. Mom had the chops for serious acting. If she didn't make movies just to make a buck, she could have avoided adding to Aaron's endless crap pile of movies. Or she could have gone back to the theater and done stage work. The point is, she could have built a career she was proud of."

He twirled strands of Veronica's hair around his pointer finger, mesmerized by the different shades of blonde in them and released them. "She still got three or four offers every week. And that's not even considering her career as Lynn Hamilton. She's got at least one of every award a writer can win. Hell, she's even got a Grammy. That was for a spoken word album written by Lynn Hamilton and narrated by Lynn Echolls, which for the record makes so much more sense now. Mom's in the freaking EGOT Club for Pete's sake. People would have fallen all over themselves to help her make a comeback. So why did she leave me with the ass and take the easy way out? Why wasn't I enough to fight for?" After a pause, he asked under his breath, "Why wasn't I enough?"

Veronica's fingers combed through his hair and rested their foreheads together. "I can't imagine how Lynn felt, Logan, or why she did what she did. She chose wrong, Love. I can't be any clearer about that. What she did was not okay any way you look at it, but let's play devil's advocate for a moment. You once told me Aaron dominated her and took away everything important to her, even you. She had to abide by his rules for raising you. He controlled every aspect of her life. And you thought there was nothing you could do until you turned eighteen. She might have felt something similar except she wouldn't age out."

With soft eyes, she pulled back. "I can't imagine what her life was like. It doesn't excuse her not protecting you from that monster, but I still can't imagine what her life was like. But, she lived with him day in and day out, thinking this was how it would be for the rest of her life. The drugs and alcohol compounded the guilt of knowing you were being abused. And she couldn't figure out how to stop it, how to protect you."

She brushed a kiss over the side of his head. "I can't pretend to understand what went through her mind, but I imagine she was plain burned out after all those years. The drugs and alcohol also might have made her mind fuzzy enough to lose focus of what was important… you."

He tried to pull away, but she held on firmer. "I'm not trying to justify her actions. Like I said, what she did was wrong, and I'm pissed that she left you all alone with that asshole who calls himself your father. I'm only saying she was also hurting and too involved in her own pain to think of anything else. She loved you, however, it's like you said about Lianne, she loves me but can't focus on anything other than her own pain. Lynn was in the same boat, only to a greater degree."

After he relaxed back into her embrace and nodded into her shoulder, he lay there breathing in the essence of Veronica, letting it soothe him.

* * *

The next thing he knew, Veronica rubbed his ears and the back of his head. "Logan, My Love, Dad's home with dinner. Time to get up."

He woke but lingered in that half-asleep limbo for a minute before sitting up. After waiting for the rippling waves of the waterbed caused by moving to subside, he rubbed the sleep from dry eyes. "How long was I out and is your dad pissed that I'm asleep in your bed?"

The corners of her lips tilted upward. "About an hour and a half, a little less. And I don't think he's upset. He knows you needed the sleep and that you're not able to do anything that would make him want to break out his rifle. Plus, you had a rough day, so he'll give us a pass he might not give us on an ordinary day."

After bracing on the bed with his good arm, he leaned over, giving her a quick, soft kiss, before pulling back and making eye contact. "Good, and um, thank you. You always know what to say and when to say nothing. I'd lose myself sometimes without your love and understanding."

With a widening grin, she leaned in and kissed him before whispering against lips, "That's fair. I'd lose myself without you, too."

She sealed her statement with another kiss, and he reveled in the softness of her lips against his before a throat cleared behind them. He pulled away, and his cheeks heated while he turned and looked at Mr. Mars—sorry, Keith. It would take some getting used to, calling adults by their first names. Keith and Alicia had both insisted that since he was as good as part of the family, he should use their given names.

The edges of Keith's lips rose. "Do we want to eat or go over the paperwork first?"

With a shrug, he met Keith's gaze. "Eat first. I need to psyche myself up to see what Mom left me. If—if she had as much as Mr. Wolfe suggested, I don't understand why she didn't leave Aaron and take me with her."

Keith tilted his head. "Without trying to justify her actions because any way you look at it, she made the wrong choice; try to keep in mind that you're not the only one Aaron abused."

His mouth opened to argue that Aaron never hit her, but Keith held up a hand. "Mental, emotional, and verbal abuse can be as devastating as physical abuse. As a parent, I can't imagine how helpless your mom felt while allowing Aaron to hurt you. I don't understand what he did or said to make her stay. But I'm sure your mother loved you. The pain of watching your child suffer and not being able to do anything to help, well it's a special torture. And I imagine Aaron knew that and used that to his advantage."

He scowled and took Veronica's hand in his again. "Yet another reason to hate the bastard."

Keith offered him a brief smile. "Any other day, I'd chastise you for your language, but you're right. Aaron is an absolute bastard, so I'll let it slide." Keith pointed his finger and wiggled it a little. "This time, but don't let it happen again."

He and Veronica both beamed at Keith before Logan got up from the bed. He tried his best to keep his ribs from rubbing against each other with only moderate success.

The three of them headed out to the kitchen and had a quiet meal with Veronica telling him what was going on at Neptune High. His stomach churned from all the business with his mom. To avoid throwing up on the Mars' kitchen floor, he only ate half his food before pushing his still half-full plate towards Veronica. The bottomless pit began eating his food and hers.

Pushing the food away had nothing to do with school, though. He couldn't care less what the rumor mill was saying about him. The fact he seemed to have garnered public sympathy didn't even please him. Everyone thought he had an ephebophile for a father and a mother who killed herself to get away from him. They didn't even know the half of it, and he would rather it stay that way.

Though, if Daddy Dearest tried to call his bluff, he would tell everyone about how Aaron used him for a punching bag on a near daily basis. Or he did before he moved out. It wasn't as bad as it was this last time. But when Aaron was home, he never managed more than two days without a whipping for some infraction that only made sense to Aaron.

The nitty-gritty details of his home life would become public knowledge if Aaron tried to force him back to that house. He would shout it from the rooftops if Aaron forced his hand; there would be no going back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Many thanks to the betas who worked on this chapter: haleyhazz, His_Beautiful_Girl, and pyrodaemon, and the idea factory: Luner Kat.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**The Start of a Beautiful Friendship**

**Saturday, March 19, 2005**

* * *

**Logan's Inspirational Message**

_'A mother's heart is a patchwork of love.' — Unknown_

* * *

After dinner Keith, Veronica, and Logan cleared the table and sat down in the living room with the thick stack of paperwork. An hour later, Logan looked up with a slack jaw and showed Veronica the page. "Am I reading this right? Was Mom worth over half a _billion_ when she died?"

Veronica's eyes grew the size of saucers before she took the papers and read for a minute. "Yeah. She wrote all the scripts for the movies and T.V. shows developed from her published work and also produced them. That might explain why she's worth so much more than other authors. Plus, she had an extensive catalog and there have been remakes of movies that didn't need them because the critics and fans alike already considered them classics so..."

Another glance at the page before their gazes met. "Jeez, Konstantin Industries must know what they're doing. They turned a couple hundred million into half a _billion_ in about twenty years."

After a minute of more reading, she glanced up again, letting out a low whistle. "Sheesh, Logan, can you imagine what it'll be worth when you get the last tier of the trust a decade from now?"

A tender hand brushed against his. "You were right all those times you said you wouldn't need to work."

"Come on now, that was only me playing the part of an oh-niner jackass when I said that. But I had no clue about any of this. I was talking about the tens of millions that should be in my trust that Aaron set up. He puts money into it often, ya know, to show what a _wonderful_ father he is. But Mom made sure it's irrevocable. I'm the only one who can access any of it, but not until I turn eighteen. When he adds money, he always lets it slip in interviews or private conversations with people he knows sell information to the tabloids. It happens whenever he wants a new project or needs publicity for an existing one. Money well spent, I guess, since in his mind it makes him look like a loving father and gives an uptick in the number of people talking about him. Anyway, the trust should be big by this point, but nowhere near _this_ big, more like a tenth of this. Enough, I'd never have to work if I invested it well, but now, I could make bad investments and _still _not need to work."

She reached over and squeezed his hand before she handed the papers back. "If your mom is legally deceased before your eighteenth birthday, you receive an allowance every month starting at twenty-five grand. The wording is strange. Why say 'legally deceased' instead of just 'deceased' or 'dead'?"

She furrowed her brows and went quiet for a few moments before shaking her head like she did when she was trying to clear it of mental cobwebs. "Anyway, the trust should backdate this amount. So, once Mr. Wolfe sorts things out, you'll get somewhere between seventy-five thousand and a hundred grand as a lump sum. After that you'll get an additional twenty-five thousand every month until your eighteenth birthday. Then it will turn into fifty thousand every month until your twenty-eighth birthday when you'll gain full access to the whole thing. The monthly amount goes up to a hundred fifty thousand if you get married before you turn twenty-eight. And there's a fifty thousand dollar increase to the base amount for every child you may father."

He let out a breath. "That's all great news even if we're not in a rush to start a family, school first. But I'm not confident that Aaron will keep paying me every month. Twenty-five grand is still more than the ten thousand I asked for. That way I'll be able to keep living how I'm used to living. And, I won't need to dip into the six hundred thousand I got earlier today or the check I deposited."

With a snicker, she poked his good arm. "Oh, to live the high life, but don't worry, Pumpkin, I've got you covered. I recorded everything in the den yesterday when he handed you that check. He goes back on our deal and we have the power to take him down, even just with that single conversation. He threatened to make what _he did_ 'two weeks ago' look like a hangnail. Your hospital records give the date someone attacked you. And I made sure the recording had the correct timestamp. Therefore, anyone listening to it should be able to count two weeks back and realize he was talking about the night I brought you to the hospital. While the words are not an outright confession, they are close enough. And since I recorded it on your phone and you were part of the conversation, it's all admissible in court. He won't be able to prove it wasn't you who recorded it."

A laugh ripped out of him and he grinned. "That's my girl, always one step ahead."

She pecked his cheek while Keith flipped to the next page of the paperwork he was reading. "A chip off the ole block. I have taught her well."

Veronica beamed at her father before Keith glanced at Logan. "So, how're you coping with the smaller space in your new apartment?"

A cheek splitting grin was all the answer needed. "It's awesome. And, yeah, things are a little tighter than I'm used to space wise. However, the lack of fear that I'll do something and get hit makes up for the extra space I had at Aaron's house."

Veronica leaned over and hugged him for a minute. "I'm glad and proud you're acclimating so well."

Backup hopped onto the couch and snuggled into his side. The dog's fur tickled while he petted the crown of Backup's head and relaxed farther into Veronica's side. "The worst part is waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm working under the assumption that if Dad keeps paying every month, at some point he'll leak it to some reporter he's giving me money and how much. He'll spin it to look like he's supporting the son who has abandoned him in his time of need. He'll make himself look like the wronged party and me the ungrateful brat."

A kiss dropped on his cheek and when Veronica pulled back, she bit her lip. His response was tugging the sleeve over his injured hand. "I don't care about the opinions of the world, so that won't matter. It might cause the press to hound me at Mrs. Fennel's—I mean Alicia's—house, though. And I don't want her to ask me to leave because she can't get into her front door."

Veronica threaded an arm through his. "Logan, she won't do that. It's not something in your control, and she's a parent who wants all kids safe and happy. Therefore, she won't kick you out because your dad sics the press on you. Besides, Alicia is a momma bear. By the time she's done with the press, she'll have them too scared to step anywhere near her property. That woman would bring hellfire down on them all if she thought their presence was affecting her children, and that includes you."

Keith lowered the papers in his hand and made eye contact. "I agree. She wouldn't kick you out any more than I would. Besides, she's already taken you under her wing, and she's the type that once you're there, she doesn't give you up. Like it or not, you'll have Alicia and I fighting by your side till we breathe our last breaths. The press pestering us won't change that."

A casual shrug later from him and then Veronica leaned against his arm and they returned to reading.

If he needed to purchase something big, Mr. Wolfe could give him extra money for specific things. So, if he needed a new car, not that he'd ever get rid of his baby, or another place to stay, he could buy new ones.

While tempting, buying a house would alert Aaron to the fact that Lynn kept secrets. The bastard would try to get his hands on his money by forcing Logan to move back in with him. That would give Aaron control of the trust since he's not eighteen yet. He'd let the ass have access to the trust over his dead body. Not because he wanted the money but because it was his mom's and Aaron already took too much from her. He wouldn't allow Aaron to steal what she left behind.

Around ten, he yawned, so Veronica stood and held out her hand. "Come on Lo', it's time for all people recovering from life-threatening injuries to go to bed. Let's get you home, Pookie Bear, okay?"

With droopy eyes, heavy limbs, a sleepy nod, and a chuckle, he grabbed a hold of her hand. Muscles flexed and pain flared while she pulled him up, well, as much as a munchkin could pull a full-sized man out of a seat any way.

Keith let out a chuckle at the sight. "Have a good night, Son."

The only response was the twitching of the corners of his lips.

"Don't stay too late, Veronica, or the curfew fairy will revoke yours."

Veronica winked but nodded before she pulled him out of the apartment.

* * *

When they arrived at his new digs, he lingered in the car with Veronica. They exchanged kisses and light touches of skin on skin. Hands caressing cheeks, a finger drawn over lips, noses brushing, foreheads resting against each other, heavy breaths ghosting over flushed flesh. The two of them connected through touch once more now that parental figures were no longer observing.

Yawns interrupted the caresses and kisses a few times before Veronica pulled back. "Okay, Mr. 'Yawn into the Kiss,' time for bed."

A chuckle rumbled low in his throat and a bruised and battered hand stroked her cheek before he leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. "Sorry, Peaches."

Her face tilted into the caress. "Don't be. I made you get up early. Now, I must live with the consequences of that and let you go home early so you can catch up on sleep. And veto to Peaches. If you must use pet names find a better one, no food names."

Another low rumble in his chest, lips pressed against lips, lingering there until a yawn interrupted again. With yet another laugh, he opened the car door. "See you bright and early tomorrow for 'Weevil's School of Wizardry and Automotive Care'."

Giggles erupted out of her mouth before keys turned in the ignition, starting the car. "I'm so telling him you called it that."

He brought his good hand to his heart with a tender smile. "All the love in my heart, Veronica."

A few kisses blown. "Love you to the ends of the universe and back again."

His hand reached out and caught the kisses before sending one back, and then walking to the apartment door, turning, and waving while the car drove off. After turning back and unlocking the door, he opened it, and noticed a note taped to the window, so he pulled it off and read.

_'Logan, sorry we didn't connect today. I understand it was a trying day so if you need to talk, please come to the house. Even if you don't want to talk, but want a snack before bed, still come to the house. Veronica shared her Snickerdoodle recipe, and I made several batches for all the growing boys in my care. If I don't see you before tomorrow, I hope you have a good sleep. — Alicia.'_

Having a capable and sober maternal figure was weird. His mom loved him but the last week living in the Fennel's guest house had been a novel experience. Alicia checked in at least once or twice a day to make sure he was okay. And she insisted that he eat with them whenever home and awake. She asked how his day was and listened to his answers, asking follow-up questions.

On the nights he wasn't at the Mars' home, Keith was at the Fennel's, spending time with Alicia, but also spending some time with him. They watched movies and played cut-throat games of Gin Rummy and Poker for a dollar pot. Keith even humored him and let Logan attempt to teach him how to play Halo 2 with hilarious results.

One might think they didn't trust him or wanted to make sure rules were being followed. But that wasn't it at all. Keith and Alicia cared what happened and wanted him safe and happy. Other than his mom, no adult had ever wanted those things. And his mom couldn't or didn't understand how to make those things happen.

Parents who cared took some getting used to. Before Veronica, he would have spent most of his recuperation drunk. However, caring adults were much preferred to an alcoholic haze that only allowed him to forget the lack of parental care for short stretches at a time. The haze would lift, and reality was always a harsh slap in the face. Since Aaron's most recent attack, he'd been enjoying having actual decent adults care.

If he gave the go-ahead, Keith and Alicia would do everything to bring down Aaron. But they'd be no match for Daddy Dearest's money or fame even with the recent fall from grace. The bastard would tear them to shreds even worse than Jake Kane did to the Mars family when Lilly died.

He also didn't want the entire world aware of what life had been like. More than anything, he didn't want the attention and for the rest of his life, it would be the first thing people spoke of whenever his name came up. The last thing he wanted the world to remember until time ended was the fact his father beat him daily.

For the time being, Keith and Alicia seemed willing to follow his wishes provided he stayed safe. If he tried to move back in with Aaron, they would both take action, though, they'd need to get in line behind a certain tiny blonde one. If he stayed safe, however, they'd do it his way. Overall, the whole thing had been weird, not unpleasant, but very uncharacteristic of his life to date. Repaying either of them, though, for everything, would be impossible.

A rumbling came from his half empty stomach. There was plenty on his dinner plate, but he only ate about half of what was there. Indigestion over the business with Mom affected his appetite. Therefore, he ended up pushing the half full plate to his action-figure girlfriend, who ate the Italian food with gusto.

After closing the door, he headed to the house for a snack before bedtime. No one was in sight, so he headed straight for the kitchen where Alicia was having a cup of tea before bed.

Lips tilted upward. "Logan, how are you doing?"

Half a shrug to avoid aggravating his injured shoulder was enough of a response. "Mr.—Keith—told you about the bank and the lawyer?"

With an inclined head, she stood and moved to the counter. The tender up lifting of her lips gave him pause while she took a Tupperware container out of the cabinet, retrieving a plate and glass from the other shelf. After returning to the table and setting everything down, she walked to the fridge and grabbed the jug of milk.

The look on her face caused his heart to flutter. "Keith and I aren't monitoring you. But the last few weeks have been rough. You're not used to having interactive parental figures, but we worry. So, we've been doing our best to keep the other informed. That way if you ever need a non-judgmental ear to talk to, we'll be up to date. But we won't ever push you to hash out anything you don't want to talk about."

He tapped a loose fist against his chest above the top of the sling. "I understand you're not spying on me or whatever. It's nice to have adults who worry, _novel_, but nice." He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "God, how lame is that? Most kids wish their parents would leave them be. Here I am soaking up the parental attention like I can't get enough and I can't."

She poured a glass of milk and motioned to the seat opposite hers, so he sat. "Well, I imagine your life experiences have differed from those of most other kids, even the other privileged kids. While your life has had positives in it, you faced abuse and neglect daily."

The frown formed on his face without a thought but he inclined his head, so she nodded back, "That's not to say your mother didn't love you. Everyone who has spoken about her has always said how you were the apple of her eye. She loved you, but I don't think she could deal with the hand life dealt both of you. There's no tangible way to prepare for falling in love with an abusive man. They hide it well until it's too late and I'm sure your mother didn't realize the options available to her. That's a trick of the abuser. They make it seem like they are their victim's only option."

After she opened the container of cookies and held the box out, with a grin, he took four before grabbing one more for good measure. Laughter bubbled out of her for a few seconds, before seriousness returned. "Logan, you're lucky. You and Veronica found each other. She showed you that there were other options and opened your eyes and heart to something more, not just in terms of love, but life. Veronica helped you find the tools and the strength to fight and showed you how to get out. Now, you've chosen to leave your father behind and live in freedom and peace. It appears your mother didn't have someone who could show her a healthy way."

He took a bite of the cookie and moaned before chewing and swallowing. "God, these are almost as good as Veronica's."

Alicia chuckled, touching his uninjured cheek, and after bringing the milk back to the fridge, she sat back down, wrapping her hands around the teacup. "Well, I should hope so since the recipe is hers."

After taking another bite in response, he leaned back in the chair. "You're right about Mom, she couldn't see another way out. But I'm still pissed off and hurt that she left. I'm not alone, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I still need Mom in whatever capacity possible, and instead she abandoned me."

Alicia reached out and covered his hand with a tea-warmed one. "You're right, you are not alone, and it's not fair that she's gone. Anger is natural, though, and acceptable towards both of your parents and anyone else."

A sigh escaped his lips and silence overtook the room.

After eating two more cookies, he cleared his throat. "Um, I want to ask you something that I'm hoping won't offend you so if it does, that's not my intent."

She gave an encouraging smile, so he took a sip of milk and stalled for a moment. "Keith told you that Aaron gave me a hundred fifty grand instead of the ten thousand I asked for, right?" When she inclined her head, he laid out his idea. "Now I have a hundred and fifty thousand plus the six hundred thousand from the safe deposit box and the monthly allowance from Mom's trust. You're helping in ways I can't even express gratitude for. And you agreed to rent. But um, how would you feel about having a kitchen added to the apartment?"

Her mouth opened, so he held up a hand. "If we add one, then when I move out, you'd be able to ask for more rent from the next tenant. It'd be a full apartment. I have the money to do it, and I want to repay your kindness."

With stiff shoulders and rigid posture, he nibbled on the next cookie, and the corners of her lips turned up a little. "That's sweet, Logan, unnecessary, but kind none the less. I can see from the set of your shoulders you're set on this idea. So, here's what we'll do. I'll agree on two conditions. The first being, once you find out the cost, we'll divide the overall cost by your monthly rent. Then you can stay in the apartment rent-free until I've paid you back for what I would view as an advance payment on your rent."

He shook his head. "But then you're missing the income the rent would give you, _and _you're feeding me."

After a pause, she seemed to consider the options. She took a sip and after swallowing placed the cup back on the table. "How's this, instead of paying six fifty every month, you can pay three twenty-five and pay to add the kitchen? But we'll still do the other thing where we'll decrease the rent until I've paid off your advance or you move out. That way I still get the extra income, and I'm not taking advantage of your generosity."

He tilted his head and broke a cookie in half, before dipping one end into the milk for a second. He pulled it out a moment later. "Will three twenty-five be enough? Six fifty is too low. The apartment may not have a kitchen but there are two bedrooms, living and dining rooms, a full bath, and a cellar. I looked it up, you could get at least double of what I'm paying you. But I get your point. Still, I can pay up to six twenty-five, and you'd still be paying off the perceived debt."

The damp half of the cookie sagged, so he popped the half in danger of falling into his mouth, bringing grins to both their faces. "You're a good boy, Logan. Three twenty-five will be more than enough. I use the rent money for extra expenses. Most months I put it in the bank to save for a rainy day. So, it shouldn't be an issue, but if I need to renegotiate these terms, I'll say something."

He beamed and dunked the other half of the cookie, getting the tips of his fingers wet before taking a bite, chewing, and swallowing. "Good. What's the second condition?"

She took a sip from the tea cup before tilting her head. "You still have to have dinner with the family at least a few times a week."

Laughter bubble up, and some cookie caught in his throat. So, he took a sip of milk to wash down the piece that didn't go down all the way. A few more coughs had him grabbing his ribs, which protested. After taking another sip, it helped ease down whatever crumbs lodged in his throat.

Alicia raised an eyebrow, but he shrugged a moment later. "Sorry. Cookie went down the wrong way. But you have yourself a deal. I'm not stupid or stubborn enough to pass up your cooking. The only person I've ever met who might be a better cook than you is Mrs. Navarro, and even then, it's a close call."

With a soft chuckle, she gave a pleased grin, so he tilted his head. "I'll call Franklin, my lawyer, on Monday and have him look for an architect and contractor to add the addition onto the house. You can approve or nix any of the features they come up with."

Her lips lifted higher, so he took another bite. Once he swallowed, he inclined his head. "Thank you for letting me do this. You and Keith took me in, and I—I don't want to take advantage. I love not living in fear every day, and I appreciate how you're treating me like one of your own kids. However, the fact is, I'm not yours, and so I'm just an added mouth to feed."

She shook her head from side to side. "First, I hate that you lived in fear for so long. I'm all for making that a thing of the past. Second, you're much more than just another mouth to feed, Logan. But we can work out some babysitting duties for Darrell and maybe some chores, so you feel as though you're a part of this family. Because, you are, Logan, you are part of this rag-tag family now and there is nothing you can do to dissuade us from that claim."

Laughter erupted before he grabbed his side when his ribs objected. "How messed up is it that being expected to do chores scares the crap out of but excites me at the same time? Most kids would complain about the prospect of chores. I've never had them before. However, they might be part of what I need to grow up into a productive member of society."

When her lips lifted upward, her eyes glowed with some emotion he couldn't place, but it made his chest expand. Or maybe that was his heart, growing to accommodate the warmth and fullness of Alicia's blatant love, despite not having known him for long. The feeling was foreign, and he didn't know what to do with the emotions it evoked. So, with his head tipped back and eyes closed for a long moment, he breathed through the pain, before straightening again. After making brief eye contact that he couldn't hold in the face of such an unfamiliar emotion from a mom, his eyes closed again.

He tried to bring the focus off all the wonky feelings going on inside him. "Although, now that I'm aware of what my new net worth is, I can just hire staff and never work a day in my life. But I don't want to sit around doing nothing for the rest of my days either, so…"

Her grin broadened, and she reached out and patted his hand. "You're still young and have plenty of time to figure out what and who you want to do and be. But you're well on your way to becoming a fine young man. Wallace chose well when he befriended you and Veronica, even if I didn't see that right away."

Head ducking, while heat grew in his cheeks, he soaked in more of the warm fuzzies of having an adult say something nice about him and mean it. He didn't respond though, and they sat while she sipped from the tea cup.

A few minutes later she lowered the cup and made eye contact that he held this time. "Do you read and if so, what types of books do you prefer? And do you have any books you're looking to read soon? Darrell has been saving up for a book on King Arthur."

He stared at the table for a minute before taking another sip of his milk while he thought about the answer. "I read an abnormal amount, compared to my peers, because it's a quiet activity and allowed me to stay off Aaron's radar. I want to read Eragon by Christopher Paolini. The sequel should come out in late August. I've heard good things about the first book. But I never remember to buy it when I'm at a bookstore, so I haven't gotten it yet."

After nibbling on the last cookie, he yawned. "As for the books I like, well, I'm eclectic in terms of literary tastes. There are at least three books from every genre on my faves list. There's a few more I at least enjoyed even if they didn't make it onto the list. And I take college classes, and have for years, and my unofficial mission is to take every literature class that Oceanside Community College offers."

Another yawn broke in. "By the time graduation rolls around I might accomplish the feat. Pretty much if it's the written word, I'll read it at least once. I favor fantasy, horror, gothic, and the classics though. My favorite contemporary author turned out to be Mom, but other than that I'll try a new to me author at least once."

The corners of her lips tilted upward even more. "It's good that you like to read so much. Reading is an exercise for the brain and I'm lucky that both_—_all three_—_of my boys seem to enjoy the activity."

She took periodic sips from the cup and he finished the last cookie and the rest of the milk in between yawns.

When he yawned for the third time in a minute, Alicia's lips turned down. "I understand you woke up early by normal standards. So, I think it's time to hit the sack. Your body still needs more sleep than normal. At the risk of sounding like an overbearing mother, listen when your body tells you it needs something."

He grinned but yawned again. "You're right." After standing, he put the dishes in the dishwasher.

When finished with that, he walked towards the kitchen door before turning back. "In case I've forgotten to mention it, thank you for all you have done and continue to do for me. I appreciate it."

With eyes that glowed, she had a soft expression. "You're very welcome, Logan."

He inclined his head and covered another yawn before leaving the kitchen and heading to his nice comfy bed in the safe, Aaron-free apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Many thanks to the betas who worked on this chapter: haleyhazz, His_Beautiful_Girl, and pyrodaemon, and the idea factory: Luner Kat.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**An Even Rarer Breed**

**Monday, March 21, 2005**

* * *

**Logan's Inspirational Message **

_'One doesn't know, until one is a bit at odds with the world, how much one's friends who believe in one rather generously, mean to one.' — D. H. Lawrence_

* * *

In the morning, Logan woke up earlier than usual. When he asked, Weevil agreed to teach him how to fix cars, so they scheduled the first lesson for that morning. Bobby still wouldn't clear him for driving, so Veronica drove to Weevil's house and then parked before he leaned over and stole a kiss. After pulling back, he smirked and brought a thumb up to his lips and swiped away the moisture and transferred lip gloss from the kiss. "See you around noon, Beautiful?"

A moan escaped before she brushed her lips across his. "Looking forward to it. Have fun."

The smirk formed into a knowing look. "I will even if Weevil is a slave driver. Say hi to Father Perez."

"Will do."

One last kiss before he got out of the car. After walking down the sidewalk, he opened the gate and strode into the Navarro's yard. Weevil told him to go around to the back, so he navigated around Carlos and Cecilia's discarded bikes and other toys, walking around the house. A genuine smile formed when Weevil and Felix came into view, both leaning over the engine of a '78 Pontiac Firebird.

When they looked up, Weevil smirked and stepped away from the car. After Weevil bumped his fists, Felix did the same and grinned, too.

Felix's head tilted towards the car. "Man, Echolls, you're in luck, this crap pile needs everything. Hell of a way to pop your automotive repair and restoration cherry."

A snort was his response followed by clutching at sore ribs, making both men's eyes narrow a bit which he ignored. "Well, I want to learn and word at school is Weevil's the best. I figure I'm in the right place to learn."

Felix grasped his hands behind his back. "Weevil _is_ the best, maybe even better than Uncle Angelo. Hope you're not afraid to get a little dirty."

With a head shake, he rocked back on his heels. "Not at all. Weevil's grandma taught me what soap's for. She followed that lesson up with a nugget of wisdom. 'Soap is essential to happiness because if you don't get a little dirty in life, you're not living to the fullest.'"

Weevil barked out a laugh. "She did the same with us and the neighborhood kids. Woman's a gem."

After taking a few steps closer, his voice lowered like he was imparting state secrets. "It's important you're aware of how lucky you guys are."

Weevil's head inclined. "Chardo took Grandma for granted, but I know just how lucky I am. I work hard to make sure Carlos and Cecilia know just how lucky we got by coming to live with Grandma, too. No worries, Opie, she's appreciated."

Eye contact made with Weevil, he leaned closer. "Good, she deserves nothing but the best and all the love and respect people can give her."

Weevil scowled and twisted the grease rag between already dirty fingers. "You've had a funny way of showing it."

Another step closer, and his head bowed. "Come on, Man, that was me playing a role, a role I hated, but had to play to keep up appearances. You of all people should understand that. But at the time we thought it was a matter of life and death. That's the only reason I would ever badmouth your grandma and never to her face. Anyone who knows me can confirm I adore her and always treated her with the utmost respect in person. It broke my heart when I said those things about her at the beach. The whole time I prayed your grandma and Veronica would never find out. There isn't a single negative thought or opinion in my head about your grandma and I didn't want either of them to think there was. I'm aware of just how lucky we are to have her in our lives. Now that I'm not stuck playing a selfish psychotic jackass, I have no intention of disrespecting her in private _or_ public ever again."

When he glanced up again, his steady gaze met Weevil's, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Mrs. Navarro was the only adult growing up in L.A. who showed an interest or gave unconditional love. I even gave her all the handmade stuff I made in school and unlike my own fucking parents she acted like each gift was the best one ever. Even if she didn't mean it, at least she pretended like the gifts were priceless treasures and that touched something inside me."

Weevil's eyebrow rose with a hint of a smirk for a second before Logan ran an injured hand through already messy hair. "You should have seen how depressed I was when Daddy Dearest said she was moving back here to take care of you. Then Aaron brought us here, too. I didn't stop smiling for a week. Not until Dear Ole Dad asked if I was high and," he made an air quote, "told me to knock it off. Anyway, I owe you an apology for badmouthing your grandma in public. That was wrong, and each word hurt something inside me, so I will _not_ repeat that mistake again."

Weevil offered a deep sigh and a thoughtful expression. "Apology accepted." The PCHer's eyes narrowed, and he pointed an index finger towards Logan, "But you better keep that promise."

The corners of his lips tilted up a smidge. "Oh, don't worry, I will." After rocking back on his heels, he rolled his neck a few times and then made eye contact. "Now that we sorted out our rocky past, what are we doing first?"

Weevil's eyes sparkled and gleamed while he flipped the dirty grease rag over his shoulder so it rested there. "To begin with, I need to know how much you know about cars."

With a furrowed brow, he rocked back again. "Uh, I can identify the engine, fill the gas tank, check the oil, and refill the windshield wiper fluid but that's all I know about cars. Hence my coming to you."

Weevil dragged the grease rag off his shoulder and tossed it onto a nearby work bench before tipping an imaginary hat at Logan. Then the two PCHers spent the next few hours teaching him the names of all the internal parts of the car. They explained what each part did, how it worked together with the other parts, and why it was necessary.

The beaming expressions on each face attested to the fact that everyone had a good time and the three teens laughed at each other's jokes. Weevil was a born teacher, so he was optimistic that by the end of the lessons he'd be an exceptional mechanic.

* * *

When they finished, the teens headed into the house. Meg's lips curled upward and brightened the room. "Who wants some fresh lemonade?"

A smirk broke out on his face. "Mrs. Navarro's special recipe?"

Meg made a move to stand. "But of course, it is the best lemonade around after all."

Everyone grinned and Weevil waved. "Sit, I'll get it. While we appreciate you making it, I can pour it without making you get up, you did the hard part, so I'll do the easy part."

A giggle escaped her mouth, while he and Felix followed Weevil into the kitchen where he poured four glasses, then headed back out into the living room. Weevil handed Meg a glass. "Where are Carlos and Cecilia?"

After leaning back in the seat, she took a sip. "Already at their friends so we can spend the rest of the day with our friends."

Weevil leaned down and stole a kiss and then Logan glanced at Felix. "Hey, you busy this afternoon? We're playing some Xbox and having some pizza. You're welcome to come with."

Felix's eyes widened, but the teen had been easy-going and inclusive all morning and Logan liked his sense of humor, so he offered an olive branch. The smile that filled Felix's face had a genuine build and when it finished forming it lit up his face. "Any other day and I'd say yes, but I've got to be at work at one so another time?"

With upturned lips, he made steady eye contact. "Sure, you're welcome wherever, whenever. I had fun this morning and your sense of humor fits the rest of our group. You'd get along with our other friends, too."

Felix blew him a kiss which he caught out of habit. With a burst of laughter, he shook his head, "No, no, no, the only kisses I'm supposed catch belong to a tiny blonde one. You're corrupting me and I'm gonna tell."

Felix's only response was a chuckle and a two-finger salute before glancing at the clock on the wall. "Crap, I got to hurry if I want to get to work on time. Echolls, a pleasure. I'll see you around and I'll refrain from blowing you any more kisses. I know the damage your better half could inflict."

He chuckled before Felix faced his best friend, "Weevil, we'll talk later. Meg, thanks for the lemonade." The three boys bumped fists before the PCHer downed the rest of the lemonade and then left.

After Felix closed the door, Weevil stared at Logan for a minute. "You were serious right?"

He took a sip of lemonade. "Yeah, he's cool. Few would have the stones to blow me a kiss, so he's welcome to tag along anytime."

Meg reached out and brushed a hand along Weevil's arm. "Logan's right, Felix would fit with our group pretty well and he's not as prejudice against oh-niners as some other people around here."

Weevil's brows drew together and his lips turned downward. "Are people giving you shit again?"

Meg shook her head. "No, but Felix never gave me issues or treated me any different than anybody else and that's my point: he doesn't care. If I'm nice to him and treat you and your family right, then he wouldn't care if I was purple and from Saturn. He'll treat Logan the same way, too, as evidenced by the kiss blowing."

His head tipped in agreement and Weevil shrugged. "You're right."

With a grin he bounced on his toes. "So, ready to head to my place? God, I love that. I have a place that's all mine and not Aaron's. Alicia and Keith are spoiling me rotten."

They laughed and after Weevil helped Meg stand, she grabbed her purse and the three teens headed out to Weevil's car.

* * *

When they arrived, Veronica, Mac, and Wallace were waiting on the front stoop. With a grin, he skipped to the door, "You could have let yourself in, you know where Alicia keeps the spare key."

Veronica shook her head, but stood and brushed off her butt, "I could have, but this is your place Logan. You make the boundaries and I want to respect those so we waited for you."

His lips curled upward while he let everyone in and half an hour later they sat around the living room playing Halo 2 on Xbox.

After some maneuvering, stacking, and a lot of digging through boxes, they made room for everyone and found the video games and gaming systems.

The apartment had a living room, a small attached space that he was using as a dining room, two small bedrooms, and a good-sized bathroom. There was also the cellar which he was using to store a bunch of stuff in boxes and some furniture that Alicia already had in the apartment.

At that moment, he and Mac sat on the floor of the living room, playing Halo 2. Mac turned out to be a bit of a video game genius. And she grinned while his character died, _again_. After he handed the controller to Wallace, he smirked. "Good luck, Diddy, you'll need all you can get."

Wallace gave a playful nudge and leaned forward with the controller and began manipulating it. While watching the pair play, he took out his phone and dialed a number he had for years but never had cause to use before.

The line rang three times before a hesitant voice answered. "Hello?"

A wider grin spread across his face. "Hey Cassidy, it's Logan."

"Oh hey, Dick's not here."

_'We need to work on that self-esteem.'_ His lips pulled down at the corners, but his voice was firm when he spoke. "I have Dick's number memorized, and I didn't call Dick. I dialed _your_ number. Anyway, I need a favor from _you_, not Dick."

Cassidy let out a gust of air. "What—what do you need?"

His lips turned up at that, spreading from ear to ear. "This is important, the Covenant might win, so the fate of humans, may depend on you. Do you know my friend Mac?"

Cassidy gave a high-pitched laugh. "Uh, yeah, the girl with the kick-ass blue bangs, right?"

Still, he shrugged even though Cassidy couldn't see. "That's her. She's a Flaming Ninja and unbeatable at Halo 2. We tried, but just can't do it. Can you come over and see if you can beat the reigning champ?"

There was silence for a few seconds. "You want me to come over and try to beat your friend at Xbox?"

He grinned at Mac and told Cassidy, "You're the best Halo 2 player I've ever played against, so yeah. Mac needs an actual challenge and Wallace, Veronica, Meg, Weevil, and I are no match."

The silence stretched out again for almost a full minute. "You—you're serious—you're inviting me over to play video games. _Without _Dick?"

After rubbing the back of his neck, he leaned forward. "Yeah. Look, I'm done with the oh-niners and their elitist bullshit, Dick and Madison in particular. But you're cool. My friends said you haven't joined in on harassing Veronica since I stopped going to school. So, I figured I'd reach out and see if you might want friends that Dick doesn't dictate or dazzle."

Silence, total and complete, for a long minute and then Cassidy released a gust of air as if he had held his breath the entire time. "I still don't have a license and can't get my permit until the last week of August, so I'd need a ride."

He grinned again. "That's cool. Wallace and I are going to go get some pizzas in about ten minutes, so we'll pick you up on the way there."

Cassidy's voice was tentative but tinged with something that might have been hope. "Cool. I'll be ready."

The beaming grin he flashed the room blinded like the sun. "Great, you still like Pepsi and supreme pizza, right?"

Now, Cassidy's voice was stronger. "Yeah, Pepsi works, and I'll eat pretty much anything but anchovies on pizza."

A snort escaped him. "Except pineapple."

The silence stretched on for another long minute before Cassidy took and then released a deep breath. "I mentioned that when you first moved here, like five years ago, and you still remember?"

After shifting, he rolled the stiff muscles of his neck. "I may not have acted like it, but I paid attention when you spoke. Besides, Veronica would refuse my kisses if I ate anchovies and that would be a fate worse than death. So, no worries there and Wallace doesn't like fruit on pizza either."

Cassidy let out a shaky laugh, so he nodded. "We'll be by in about fifteen minutes."

After they hung up, he turned to Mac. "Live up your position as number one while you can because Cassidy is at least as good."

Mac grinned while continuing to manipulate her controller. "Bring it on, Pretty Boy."

He chuckled low in his throat. "You think I'm pretty?"

A giggle bubbled up and out before a blush covered her face.

"You _do_, you think I'm pretty, wait till I find a parent who cares and tell them." Then he went into the bedroom, putting sneakers back on while singing, 'I Feel Pretty.'

Veronica's laughter floated to him while he hummed and tied his shoes.

After returning to the living room, he leaned down and kissed Veronica before standing back up and looking at Wallace. "How soon until Mac kills you, Diddy?"

Wallace's head shook while the tip of his tongue stuck out between his lips before the tongue disappeared. "Who says I won't kill—"

Mac raised a fist in the air. "Ha, take that Wallace."

With lips pulling down at the corners, Wallace put down the controller. "Damn girl."

Wallace stood and handed the controller to Weevil before turning. "I'm ready to go get our reinforcements."

Brows drawn together; he took a step closer to Wallace. "No guarantees that Cassidy will win, but he'll at least be a better challenge."

A hand caressing Veronica's, he turned, leaned down, and lingered for a moment while kissing soft, cherry flavored lips again. Then he pulled back, pecking the tip of her nose. "Be back soon."

With a sigh, he wished for the day he could drive his baby again, and while they walked out the door, he handed the keys to Wallace. "I hope you realize you're one of five people besides me ever allowed to drive my baby."

Wallace squinted. "Vee, Duncan, and who else?"

After opening the passenger door, he got in while Wallace did the same on the driver's side. "Ronnie way more than Duncan but he drove a couple times right after I started driving because I was too drunk to drive and he was all 'Mr. Responsible' even though he was just as wasted as me. Lilly drove once and my sister has driven twice, and you drove while I was moving and now again today. Do you feel privileged? Because you should."

Wallace laughed. "Oh, I do, but not for the reason you think."

His head tilted in silent question, so Wallace shrugged. "I feel privileged because you're trusting me with your favorite possession. Your trust makes it a privilege; not the actual act of driving the car or the fact that I'm on the short list of people allowed to do so."

A chuckle rumbled in his chest, but his head inclined before Wallace drove to Cassidy's house.

* * *

They took forty minutes to go pick up Cassidy and grab the pizzas. When the trio walked back into the apartment, he glanced at Mac who was playing the game while Veronica, Meg, and Weevil sat back and watched. After putting the five boxes of pizza on the dining room table, Wallace put the two bottles each of Pepsi and Dr. Pepper beside the boxes.

With a broad grin, he spread his good arm out wide towards everyone else. "Cassidy, you've seen everyone around but have you met them?"

Cassidy's head shook, so Logan pointed at each person. "Meg you've met, Weevil is the bald badass attached to his wife and the aforementioned girl with the kick-ass blue bangs is Mac."

He made eye contact with his friends. "Everyone, this is Cassidy. You might have heard his brother use the name Beaver. Based on the cringes he makes when Dick uses that name, I'd guess he prefers Cassidy. Don't follow in Dick's footsteps and be an unfeeling dick."

Weevil snorted. "As if. Nice to meet you, _Cassidy._"

Meg and Mac's heads inclined, and Meg smiled at Cassidy. "It's nice to see you again."

Veronica wiggled her fingers, and Cassidy blushed and shuffled his feet.

Logan looked at Mac. "Well, my friend, your reign as the undefeated champion is now in jeopardy."

With lips turned upward, she glanced at Cassidy. "Like I said earlier, bring it on, Pretty Boy." After a pause, she glanced his way. "Cassidy and I are in AP Computer Science A and all of our other classes together. So, I already know he'll be an actual challenge unlike _some other people _who shall remain nameless, _Cough Logan Cough_."

A belly laugh ripped out of his mouth, bringing tears to his eyes when his ribs objected. After wiping his eyes, he opened a box of pizza and took out a slice, taking a bite. After swallowing, he glanced between Mac and Cassidy. "I look forward to seeing the two of you do battle."

Both gave tiny smiles, so with a smirk, he motioned to the table. "Oh, we got two vegetarian pizzas since you're sharing with the bottomless pits."

Veronica stuck out her tongue. "Hey, I might resemble that remark."

Meg giggled and got off the sofa, walking towards the pizza. "And I'm pregnant so I'm allowed to be a bottomless pit."

Everyone laughed at that, and after they had all gotten pizza and soda, they sat down, and Mac and Cassidy picked up the controllers.

* * *

An hour later, Mac and Cassidy had both won half the games. Cassidy laughed and manipulated the controller. "Ya know, I've never had to try this hard before."

Mac snickered. "Me neither." Then she pumped an arm after squeezing out another victory. "That's how it's done."

Logan's phone rang, with a regular ring, so taking it out of his pocket he glanced at the screen; not a number he recognized, but he answered anyway. "Hello?"

A woman's voice came through the line. "Yes, may I please speak to Mr. Logan Echolls?"

Calls that involved his full name never ended well. So, he let out a heavy breath, which caused his eyes to water when his chest expanded with the intake of air. After the pain flared, he tightened his grip on the phone. "This is him."

"My Name is Lucy Andersen. I'm the Deputy District Attorney for Balboa County. The FBI has brought some information to our office's attention and we wish to discuss this information with you at your earliest convenience."

_'Shit, what did I do?' _After wracking his brain, he couldn't come up with anything he'd done that would warrant the D.A.'s office needing to talk to him. With a sigh, he leaned into Veronica. "What's this about? Do I need an attorney?"

Veronica reached up and squeezed his good shoulder while Ms. Andersen paused. "If you have a personal attorney with no ties to your father, then that individual would be welcome at this meeting. As for what this is regarding, I should wait to explain. For now, I'll say, Duncan Kane recorded at least ninety-eight percent of the conversations he eavesdropped on. That means we're not only aware of what your father has done to you, but we have audio recordings of multiple beatings. That includes the incident that led to Ms. Mars bringing you to the hospital two weeks ago. We can't in good conscience leave a minor in the custody of a man who abuses him. Not even if, as my contacts have informed me, you are no longer living under the same roof as him. This meeting will allow us to discuss your options."

_'Fuck.'_ With fingers gripping Veronica's, he spoke in a slow, steady voice that hid the drop his stomach had just taken. "What sort of options?"

Ms. Andersen paused again. "I understand you are recovering from some injuries. To keep your stress levels low, I'll say that the D.A. suggested that perhaps we approach your father and offer not to prosecute for child abuse. But only if he gives up custody. While he doesn't deserve such leniency, most in our office are of the opinion that the negative publicity would do _you_ more harm than good. We've heard enough of the tapes to know that you don't want people to find out any more than your father does. We thought this might be more to your liking than taking the case to court."

While taking a deep breath, he held the phone between his ear and shoulder and scrubbed the injured hand over his face. "What's the catch?"

She paused and papers shuffling on her end fluttered in his ear. "The catch is that most family court judges would prefer another adult gain custody of you rather than emancipation. The judge would want you to have unfettered access to at least one stable adult who can help you cope with what's happened. I already spoke with Mr. Mars and Mrs. Fennel and they have agreed to take on that role if you approve. If not, they'll help you try to gain emancipation, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a judge who would agree to that."

_'Keith and Alicia agreed to become my legal guardians?' _ They cared, he knew they did, but he'd never had an adult, never mind two, that wanted him like they seemed to. Hell, not even his mom wanted him enough to stay alive.

After he ran a hand through his hair, he leaned into Veronica's side. "My father will fight this."

"I'm sure that will be his initial instinct, but Mr. Kane was outside your house the night you went to the hospital. The younger Mr. Kane caught the whole thing with the rifle mike. Although your father didn't speak much, the sounds of flesh hitting flesh are unmistakable in the recording. It also included Ms. Mars arriving, your refusing her attempts to call for an ambulance, and her taking you to the hospital."

Another pause and papers moving. "There are also tens of thousands of surveillance photos Mr. Kane took while he stalked you and Ms. Mars. Those shots include your father leaving the house with blood on him. And we've got shots of Ms. Mars arriving and then helping you to her car. Your battered state is obvious. Couple those with the pictures time-stamped less than an hour prior to that of you arriving home, happy and healthy, well, the evidence is solid. Given all of that and your documented injuries, well, it'll be an open and shut case. When we show your father the evidence against him, I'm sure he'll be smart enough to realize the gravity of the situation. The public will not forgive him for beating his child regardless of what excuse he might try to give."

That's what he and Veronica were banking on when he asked Aaron to pay ten grand every month, so chances were Ms. Andersen was right.

When he rolled his shoulders, the pain cleared his head a little, and he let out a heavy breath but didn't respond. In the silence papers shuffled once more before Ms. Andersen broke the quiet. "The recordings also overheard you and Ms. Mars collecting hospital records. We've acquired them with a warrant. Now, we have the records from the hospitals you told Ms. Mars about. And we also expanded the search and found thirty-seven hospitals in Southern California alone with records of over fifty visits made to the emergency rooms. That includes the records from the three hospitals that you couldn't gain access to the records rooms for. Either he gives up custody, or we take him down in court."

Air burst out of his mouth in a noisy rush, while cursing Duncan. _'Damn nosy ass psycho is still making things more complicated than they need to be.'_

A pause and more papers shuffled on the other end of the line. "When are you available to go over all of this in more detail? I didn't plan to say all of this over the phone. So, I need to sit down with you and an attorney or a child advocate attorney and explain what will happen. While a judge will take your opinion regarding who gets custody into account, by law, you are a minor. No judge would allow a minor to remain in the care of an abusive parent with such overwhelming evidence, even if you _are_ now living apart."

With his injured hand, he scrubbed his face again. "I'm free tomorrow. I'm still recovering so I sleep in, therefore later in the day would be better if possible."

The pair made plans to meet the next afternoon and then hung up.

Everyone looked at him with question marks on each of their faces. "Hold on a minute. I need to call Franklin."

Then he called his attorney and found out if Franklin was free to go the next day. He was and agreed to meet Logan there.

When he dropped the phone into his lap, Veronica took his free hand and squeezed. "What's going on Lo'? What's the D.A. want?"

Another deep sigh broke out of him before he explained everything the Deputy D.A. said. When he got to the part about Duncan recording everything, Cassidy gasped and sat back, controller falling to his lap before he leaned against the couch. "Duncan recorded _everything_?"

With pinched lips, he rushed the words. "Yes, that's what she said, some ninety-eight percent."

Cassidy trembled. "God that means they discovered what Goodman has been doing to his bat boys." Logan's eyes widened, but he said nothing, so Cassidy almost whispered, "And they will figure out I'm one of them. It's just a matter of time."

He was sure Cassidy was talking to himself, but his eyes narrowed. "I assume if Duncan overheard you doing or saying something then yes, the D.A. is aware of whatever it was."

White as a ghost, Cassidy's eyes opened so wide Logan could see the whites of his eyes all the way around. Cassidy sat there trembling and staring off into space. Veronica and Mac each took a hand while Mach bumped his shoulder. "You okay, Cassidy?"

Cassidy's shoulders drooped in over his chest. "I didn't want anyone to find out."

He still didn't understand. "You're a minor so they'll keep your name confidential."

And it clicked, and his eyes widened with understanding, so he looked at Cassidy. "It wasn't your mom who hurt you was it?"

The still trembling Cassidy shook his head with teary eyes. Logan rose off the floor on the other side of Veronica and sat on the couch behind and to the left of Cassidy. After settling, he put a hand on Cassidy's shoulder. "Whatever you need, Man, just say the word."

Sitting on the floor, Cassidy looked up at Logan over a shoulder. "You don't think I'm a faggot or a pussy? Dad and Dick say that people who—"

With widened eyes, he sat straight before cutting Cassidy off, "First, I get that they're family. However, pay no attention to anything either says about anything other than surfing. Even then take it with a grain of salt. They're not like us; they're bigots through and through and Dick at the very least tries to make discrimination and bullying a sport. Second, if I understand, then no, neither of those things are true. We're victims Cassidy. Everyone in this room, plus Keith and Alicia, have shown me it's not my fault, and what happened isn't your fault either."

After Cassidy's mouth opened to say something, Logan raised a hand. "I know… I know it's hard to believe, and the words sound hollow now, but with time I believed, so perhaps you will, too. That's the hope at least."

Weevil threw in, "He's right, Man. Both of you are still underage, that means even if you wanted to consent, by law, you couldn't. That's what's gotten Logan's old man into trouble. Not your fault."

Cassidy twitched on the floor like he wanted to spring up like a primed jack-in-the-box. "Will they tell Dad?"

He exhaled a heavy breath, pausing, and gave a hard, obvious swallow. "By law they kind of have to. That's why the D.A. called. Ms. Andersen said they can't in good conscience leave me under the legal custody of my abuser, not with the amount of evidence they have. Believe it or not, beating your kid is not a _Federal_ crime, but it is still a crime. The same is true of what happened to you. If they have that information, then by law they need to tell your dad, if only so he can keep you away from the person hurting you."

Cassidy gave a heavy exhale and scrubbed a hand over his face. "God, how did everything get so fucked up?"

Another chuckle rumbled in his chest, but there was no humor in the laugh. "We can traced most of the recent stuff back to Duncan going crazy, but the original sources were adults misbehaving."

Cassidy still looked like he'd seen a ghost, so Logan guessed at the main cause. "Cass, Man, you're worried your dad will blame you and take it out on you?"

Cassidy twitched again. "Dad only puts up with me because he has to. He has the son he wants in Dick. But I'm a waste of space."

With narrowed eyes and pursed lips, he leaned towards Cassidy. "That's bullshit, you are _so much_ better than Dick. For starters, you're smarter than him by and far. You're smarter than most, me included, by a long shot. And you're creative and can find solutions and problem solve. Dick couldn't find the way out of a wet paper bag without help because he wouldn't be able to read a map. And you're decent; you proved that when you contacted me and told me where Duncan and Ronnie were. I treated you like crap and you still did the right thing and helped save her. And the last thing on the abridged list of all the ways you rock is that you're loyal. I haven't given you many reasons to show me loyalty yet, but I plan to fix that lapse. Unless I'm very wrong, you will be one of the most loyal friends I'll ever have."

He lifted his healthy shoulder and then dropped it. "So, I'm throwing my chips in with you, _not Dick_. Your brother isn't any of the things I just said on a good day and most days are bad."

Everybody else expressed agreement. Cassidy's eyes popped open wide at that, but he said nothing, so Logan looked at him. "Anyway, you can crash here tonight and at least give your dad time to cool down once he finds out. Hell, stay all week."

Cassidy's eyes widened and they could see the whites of his eyes again even while his lips turned down. "You're offering a place to stay so Dad can chill before I have to deal with him?"

A shrug. "Well, yeah, you helped Veronica and me, and proved you can be a good friend even if we weren't friends at the time. So, I figure I owe it to you to be a good friend back."

Veronica nodded, but Cassidy scratched the back of his head. "We're friends?"

He laughed even though Cassidy's tilted head, pursed lips and narrowed eyes showed his confusion. So, he gave a gentle grin. "I consider you my friend, Cassidy. Whether you return the sentiment is up to you, but I'm offering you friendship, no strings attached."

Everybody made agreement noises, so his lips curled upward. "I wasn't the greatest friend while pretending to hate Veronica and for what it's worth I'm sorry for that. I hope to make that up to you."

Cassidy's head tilted to the other side, but he allowed a tiny grin to spread across his face. Logan kept talking, "I've experienced firsthand what it's like to have a disapproving father. If you want to crash here for a couple of days or the whole school break and give him some time to chill, then you can. If you want to go home and face the music right off, we'll drive you home. And if you want to go home but have us come with, we can arrange that too. Sometimes having outsiders present gives them time to chill, too. He won't hurt you, will he?"

Cassidy shook his head, hard. "No. He'd never hit me. That would take too much effort, and he doesn't care enough to even bother. Uh, I'd like to crash here for a day or two, though, if you don't mind."

His lips tilted up a little more, and he reached out and squeezed Cassidy's shoulder. "I don't mind."

The little grin grew bigger on Cassidy's face. Mac chose that moment and bumped Cassidy's shoulder again. "If either of you ever need to talk about, you know, what's happened, we're here. And we won't go blabbing to the world or judge you."

Everybody voiced agreements again while Logan leaned back on the couch. "I talk it out with this tiny, blonde one here, but if I need a new perspective, I'll keep you guys in mind."

Their lips all lifted upward at varying degrees. Wallace sat up a minute later. "I figure Cassidy doesn't want to go home and get his stuff. We can go to my room later and see if we can find some sweats to sleep in and an extra t-shirt. I'm closer to your size than Marshall here."

Cassidy grinned a little more. "Uh, if you don't want to tell that's fine, but why do you guys call each other Marshall and Diddy? I get the rap reference, but how did that start?"

Wallace's eyes squinted, and he looked at Veronica with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes while cocking his head to the side. Her head inclined, so he smirked. "When I first got to town, I got sold the same line about Marshall being a psychotic jackass that everyone was getting. In January while the school suspended Vee for the whole fake ID thing that she had nothing to do with, I walked in on them having sex. That's something I wish to never witness again by the way. Anyway, I didn't handle the situation well and said something I shouldn't have. After that Logan set me straight with, among other things, a fist to the face. Then I spent the rest of the school day contemplating my relationship with Veronica and the type of friend she is. I wanted—no needed—to be friends with a girl who would hide the best thing in her life for the sake of a friend. So, I went to her apartment after school and apologized. While there, Marshall showed up, dressed like a thug. I'm talking baggy jeans, oversized hoodie pulled over his face, ball cap down low covering what the hoodie didn't, sunglasses covering his eyes. Anyway, I made a comment that Vee hadn't told me she was getting a visit from Marshall Mathers. He called me P. Diddy in response and the names stuck."

Cassidy had wide eyes again, but the corners of his mouth tilted upward. "That amazed me when we all found out you had been dating for a year and a half and no one knew. That day Dick and I walked in on her at your house. She wasn't trying to apologize, was she?"

He allowed his lips to tilt up, wistful. "No, we were comforting each other over the video of Lilly's crime scene that got leaked. I had to think fast on my feet to keep you from figuring out that you had just walked in on us making out. We feared Duncan would attempt suicide again if the truth came out and Dick can't keep a secret to save _his own_ life never mind someone else's. Duncan found out at Shelley's party a month later and became our stalker instead, but we allowed our suffering to keep him alive and well."

Wallace looked at Cassidy. "Remember that Cassidy. Vee and Marshall's friendships are like none other, and they're offering them no strings attached. They'll move mountains to help or protect you even to their own detriment, and they'll fuck up anyone who messes with you."

Cassidy's head inclined but before anyone could respond a knock resounded through the apartment. He let out another heavy breath. "What now?" Then he rose and answered the door.

* * *

After opening the door, he found Keith and Alicia on the other side. Keith shifted on the front stoop. "Sorry to disrupt your afternoon, Logan, but it might be best to discuss what the D.A. had to say. I assume she called already?"

He opened the door wider. "Yeah. Come on in. We were just discussing secrets and true friendship."

They walked in, and all the teens moved around so the two adults could sit on the sofa. Well, except Meg who needed to sit on a real chair due to being pregnant. Everyone else sat on the floor. Veronica slid onto his lap and kissed his chin before Keith looked at him for a second. "Logan, you led us in here with your friends instead of the bedroom. Is it safe to say you have no problem with us speaking in front of everyone here?

He rested his chin on Veronica's shoulder until his ribs protested the position and he sat straight again. "I told them everything the D.A. lady said. They're all smart, so they already knew most of the details anyway, even if they figured it out on their own. So, yeah, say whatever."

Keith leaned into Alicia's side. "Okay, you have wanted to keep Aaron's behavior under wraps in the past."

He gave a slow nod, so Keith shifted on the couch, swinging an arm over the back of the sofa behind Alicia's shoulders. "We supported that because you remained safe for the time being and we're aware of how stressful the press can make an already tense situation. So, if you want to allow your father to avoid prosecution and instead have him give up custody, we're willing to sign on as your legal guardians."

With another shift in his seat, Keith leaned on his knees and made eye contact. "I'm certified as a foster parent. So, the courts should have no issue with us doing it this way. The child advocate attorney will show that you would suffer more with the news out in the open, but that shouldn't be difficult."

He allowed the corners of his lips to turn up despite the conversation. "If you're willing to have me, I'm willing to be, well, under your care, I guess. I mean, I already am, so yeah. I'm game so long as it doesn't put either of you out."

Alicia's lips turned up. She sat close enough to him and reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good kid, Logan. This arrangement has seemed to work out well so far. So, it's no trouble at all to make it legal. All it'll do is make us responsible for your behavior and safety. You're already following the rules we've established, so I don't foresee any issues."

He patted the hand still had resting on his shoulder. "Thanks, both of you. I—I'm not used to having adults care about me, and the whole thing has been kind of an enjoyable experience."

Keith beamed and sat straight. "Well get used to it kid because you're stuck with us."

He laughed before something occurred to him. "Uh, I'm not used to having to ask permission to do things. So, I already told Cassidy he could. But would it be all right if he sleeps over for a couple nights?"

After motioning towards Cassidy with his healthy arm, he rested his hand back on Veronica's waist. "He's having some issues with his dad and wants to give him time to cool off before he deals with him."

Keith and Alicia looked at each other, and Alicia beamed at Cassidy. "Provided Cassidy tells his dad where he is and Mr. Casablancas doesn't object, I have no problem with that."

Cassidy turned a little so he could see her better. "I'll tell him, and I doubt he'll mind."

She leaned back on the couch. "Do you have any allergies or food preferences, Cassidy? Logan is allergic to shellfish. Veronica prefers not to eat red meat. Meg is, except for the occasional Big Mac, eating vegetarian while pregnant, and Mac is a full-time vegetarian, too. What about you?"

After narrowing his eyes Cassidy's lips pursed. "No, no allergies and I'll eat most things, why?"

She beamed, reached over, and patted his hand. "I make dinner for all of us every night. If you're here tonight and tomorrow night, I wanted to make sure what I cook won't make you sick. Plus, if you are friends with Wallace, Veronica, and Logan you'll end up spending a good amount of time here and at least a few meals with us. I want to prepare just in case."

Cassidy's eyes widened and showed the whites again, and he understood so he laughed. "It's weird, right? A parent that cares and takes the time to not only make dinner but make sure it won't kill you? I didn't even realize parents like Keith and Alicia existed until Duncan and Lilly introduced me to Veronica."

Cassidy stared at Alicia in disbelief, so she chuckled. "Believe it or not, the ways of Neptune parents are not the ways of parents in the rest of the world. A good chunk of us involve ourselves in our children's lives, and many of us cook homemade meals most nights."

With a snicker, he leaned closer. "You're telling me that Bigfoot exists."

Cassidy gave a deep and slow nod before Alicia and Keith both laughed, and Keith sat back and spread his arms wide. "Just call me Sasquatch."

Veronica chimed in, "But those have more hair, not less."

Keith grinned and held his hands up in a 'here I am' gesture. "Maybe I'm an even rarer breed."

He winked at Keith. "Oh, that's for sure, no maybe about it."

* * *

**Author's Note:** A special thanks to Cornfrontation and His_Beautiful_Girl for their help with the Halo 2 details.

Also, just a reminder that I started a Pinterest Board for the story called 'Pictures for ALMH Series' under the name Saoirse Kinnardy.

The Pinterest board will also have the recipes to at least four items mentioned in the story that I will add as they're mentioned. This week I added Grandma Lettie's World Famous Lemonade.

I also made a playlist for this story on Spotify. It's called 'ALMH 02: The Winds and Rains and the Scorching Sun.' You can find it by searching for the title under playlists.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Many thanks to the betas who worked on this chapter: haleyhazz, His_Beautiful_Girl, and pyrodaemon, and the idea factory: Luner Kat.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**Have I Judged a Book by How It's Bound?**

**Tuesday, March 22, 2005**

* * *

**Logan's Inspirational Message**

_'It is not 'forgive and forget' as if nothing wrong had ever happened, but 'forgive and go forward,' building on the mistakes of the past and the energy generated by reconciliation to create a new future.' — Alan Paton_

* * *

Logan woke before the sun the next day with a knot in his belly about the upcoming meeting with the D.A. later in the afternoon. The nerves caused tossing and turning all night and brought even more frequent nightmares than usual.

The dreams alternated between two different ones. A little boy huddled in a corner of a bedroom crying would morph into the crack of a belt and flashes of pain in his back. Then the scene would return to the little boy and start all over. A third nightmare, the last of the night, though, of Aaron beating Veronica woke him up screaming and prevented him from falling back asleep.

While sitting on the couch a few hours later, playing with PopPop's lighter and biting his lip, he stared at the phone sitting on the coffee table. What he wanted to do was call Trina and warn her about Keith and Alicia's custody bid. The siblings may not have always gotten along, not even most of the time, but he owed her a heads-up at least.

Every morning, Trina woke with the sunrise regardless of when she went to bed. So, she should be awake already. With a deep, eye watering breath, he picked up the phone and pushed speed dial number five before bringing the cell to an ear. The phone rang six times, and before he could disconnect the call, the line picked up. The sounds of Clair de Lune came through the earpiece; Debussy was Trina's standard driving music.

With a grimace, bouncing knee, and sweaty hand, he tightened the hold on the phone. "Little Brother, I'm driving right now. Can I call back? If the traffic keeps cooperating, I should get where I'm going in about half an hour and _then_ we can talk."

_'Fuck.'_ That meant Aaron already called and spun a tale about Logan moving out. A heavy breath escaped, causing a wince when ribs protested. "Okay, um, don't forget, though, it's important. Things have happened and I need to fill you in so no one can blindside you."

While he leaned back on the couch, she snickered. "Promise, we will have a nice long talk today as soon as I get where I'm going."

After closing his eyes for a moment, and stretching a little and then slouching, his eyes opened. "Okay. Drive safe."

"Will do. It will all be okay, Little Brother."

Even though Aaron might have spilled the news, she must not have been mad. The corners of his lips tilted up. "I sure hope so, Big Sister."

After hanging up a moment later, he placed the phone on the coffee table before sitting back and wondering what to do for half an hour. Cassidy woke up at five and had gone with Wallace to work to discover how the little people lived, leaving Logan home alone. The corners of lips tilted farther upward. His gut thought Cassidy and Wallace would wind up best friends.

* * *

Half an hour later, he paced in the living room when a knock reverberated through the apartment. After jumping a foot in the air, he rubbed all his jarred wounds.

The sun had only been up for a little over an hour, so still early in the morning. Most of his friends would sleep in during spring break, so he had no idea who could be knocking. With a sigh and rubbing his ribs, he strode over to the door, pulling it open. Jaw gaping open, a grin broke out on his face.

Mouth closing, his lips curved upward until both wore matching expressions. "Trina, what—what are you doing here, shouldn't you be living the high-life in L.A.?"

After taking the two steps up and squeezing between the door, she hugged him with a gentle grasp. "Daddy called late last night. The news he gave excited and pleased me so much I couldn't sleep. Once the sun rose, I gave up trying and hopped in the car, driving here at the butt crack of dawn."

After wrapping his uninjured arm around her, he dropped a kiss on the side of her head. "Aaron let slip I moved out?"

Trina tightened the hug for a split second. "Yes, now, can I come in and see your new digs?"

With a chuckle, he stepped away, pushing the door all the way open. "Come on in. Move-In Day was Friday, so the place is still a mess…"

After entering, her lips turned up. With loose limbs and fluid movements, she glanced around. "Give a girl the grand tour?"

Laughter bubbled out before he showed off the whole place. Then the pair sat on the couch. Once seated, she turned and faced him with a knee resting on the cushion and a foot hanging off the seat of the couch. When he tried to follow suit, his ribs didn't like that position, so he sat facing the television and just turned his face.

"I approve, Logan. The space is smaller than we're used to but has the bonus of being Daddy free." After brushing a hand along his, she lingered on the splint supporting the broken pinkie and ring fingers.

While the sun began shining through the window, his hand flipped and squeezed hers. "You're not mad?"

With a small uplift of lips, her head shook, hard. "Not even a little. Um, I have some confessions to make. I need you to listen, and you can yell when I'm done, okay?"

Furrowed eyebrows, with lips pursed. "Are you okay? You're not in trouble?"

Trina's features softened. "No, I'm fine, perfect actually. So, will you listen?"

The somber tone of her voice had a note of some unknown thing, too. So, after receiving a nod, she shifted in the seat and took one hand in hers. "I wrote a letter, but now I should say all this to your face, so, I want to start with I love you."

A grin spread across his face. "Only gonna interrupt this one time, promise, but I love you, too."

With eyes that sparkled, she moved a little closer on the couch. "Thank you. So, um, I know you told the truth about the broken noses, black eyes, and cigar burns right before my eighteenth birthday. I could hear the ring of truth when you said it. And you might not remember this, but one night a few months after my birthday I came home for a visit. That night was the best because we got along and stayed awake into the wee hours watching campy horror movies and laughing together."

He gave a knowing look. "The Friday the 13th Franchise is still the best."

With a laugh and a playful scowl, she ran a hand through her hair and rested it on the back of her neck. "You're going to keep interrupting, aren't you?"

With a chuckle, he picked at a thread on the couch cushion. "You know me, I always have something to say and have never been good about following the rules."

A giggle escaped and then she turned serious once more before taking his hand in hers again. "True, anyway, what you might not realize is that I left my camera on the floor when I headed to bed. The next morning, I snuck into the room while you were still asleep and grabbed it. And when I looked at you, well, I'm still surprised my sobs didn't wake you. Your bare back faced me, and had bruises, angry infected cuts and burns, and scars, _so many_ scars. The sheer number of fresh wounds and scars and various states of healing made it obvious that the abuse had been happening for years. After I threw up in the bathroom and then ran to my room, I cried until I ran out of tears. But I didn't know what to do. So, I found Lynn and told her, who just looked at me over a morning glass of bourbon. Then she told me it would be best if I forgot what I saw and never mentioned it to anyone again."

The air left his lungs in a painful rush._ 'Fuck, she told an adult I was being hurt by her precious daddy? When it counted, she chose me, and I was clueless that she tried to help. And Mom said to forget about the whole thing?'_

A gasp for air, stomach twisting, while he tried to breathe around the lump in his throat. "The two of us didn't stand a chance, did we? Everyone did everything in their power to make us hate each other."

With nimble fingers, she traced a heart on the back of his hand. "I never hated you, though."

Despite the pain, he reached over and pulled Trina into a hug. "I never hated you either."

The pair held onto each other for a few minutes and when they pulled apart, both wiped the tear tracks from their faces. Then she let out a heavy breath. "I'll be honest, Lynn's response shocked me. But I was just an eighteen-year-old girl back then. And I don't get my trust funds until this May so at the time I couldn't kidnap you and run away. And I was sure no one would believe us, especially if Lynn denied the allegations, even with the obvious signs carved into your back."

He patted the hand laying on Trina's leg, while she ran the other over her face. "Still, knowing the terrible Echolls' family secret, I didn't see what you saw until Daddy beat Dylan bloody. That broke my heart. For once I wasn't looking at the daddy who showered me with presents and love. No, I was staring at the monster who abused his own flesh and blood, my baby brother, for over a decade. Everyone else, me included, looked the other way and flattered the bastard with accolades and adoration, but day in and day out you saw the monster. That night I saw it, too."

Eyes widening, his mouth fell open. _'She called Aaron a bastard? Has he fallen from his pedestal?'_

Her shoulders slumped. "I should've helped you get out of the house the moment you confided in me. When I saw your back, I should've helped, and I should've helped you after your mom died and the Dylan thing happened. At the very least, I should've admitted I believed you. I'm—I'm not strong like you, Logan. At heart, I'm weak and my fear prevented me from helping my little brother. The fear no one would believe me took over, that and the fear I'd lose you because Daddy would forbid me from seeing you. And instead by not fighting for you, I lost what we could've had and been to each other anyway…"

_'She loves me and has as many regrets about how she treated me as I have about how I treated her.'_

His head shook, and he squeezed her hand. "But you're here now, so you haven't lost me. What you're telling me blows my mind. You're not blinded by Aaron anymore. We can start fresh and build the relationship I always wanted, the one it sounds like you always wanted, too."

When he told her the secret, it hadn't been because he wanted help. What he wanted was for her to see Aaron for who he was. A part of him always feared she'd find out the hard way one day if Aaron snapped and she was too close. So, he was open to building a relationship with her now because he didn't think she failed him.

She allowed a tremulous lift of lips. "Thank you, I don't deserve that, but I'm too selfish to refuse the olive branch. I'll always regret not helping, but I don't want to miss out on any more time together. I'm humoring Daddy because we might get some information from his bitching, and I figure that might prove useful. So, I've decided, and hope you'll agree, that not alienating him now that you're safe is the wise choice. But I choose you, Logan. Now and forever. Our love is thicker than blood…"

She used to say that when he was little. But she hadn't used those words in a good decade, so with a grin he finished the phrase, "… And more vital than air."

With a light touch, she placed a hand on his battered one. "You need to be careful, Little Brother. Despite the charges against him, Daddy is still too powerful to take down completely."

After turning his head further so he could face her more, he explained about Duncan and the fact that he taped everything he eavesdropped on. Then he described about Aaron putting him in the hospital and Veronica's revenge.

When he got to the end, Trina's lips turned upward. "I always liked Veronica. She's a keeper, Logan."

With lips parted, he brought his injured hand up and covered his heart. "I agree and already have plans to keep her for the rest of my life if she'll let me. So anyway, I'm free now. And the D.A. is certain Daddy Dearest will hand over custody. Anything to keep the public from knowing the true monster that lurks behind the mask."

She pulled him into a hug. "I think so, too. Daddy's top concern has always been public opinion more than anything else."

When she released him, she sat straight. "Um, I have one more related sore subject to bring up and then maybe I can help unpack a little or something. I need to say this so we can clear the air between us and start fresh."

He squeezed her hand, so she nodded. "Okay, so, I can't pretend to understand why Lynn didn't get you out of there. The news didn't surprise her. That much was obvious, and she seemed—angry that I had discovered the truth. I can't imagine why she thought it was okay to say nothing or to leave you to fend for yourself against that monster."

_'Fuck.'_ The one thing he held onto after his mother died was the firm belief that Lynn loved him. Now, he was realizing even if she loved him, it wasn't enough. She didn't love him the way a proper mom should have.

Trina's next words showed agreement. "Still, she knew and did nothing and that blows my mind. For Pete's sake, she was the great and beloved Lynn Echolls. If anyone would've had a chance at swaying public opinion, it would've been her."

Her head shook. "I'm sorry, Lo', I'm not here to trash talk your dead mother. We'll never find out why she did nothing so there's no point in obsessing."

A tear slipped out, and he brushed it away, and when he put the hand back on his knee, she patted it. "That's why I didn't come to the funeral, though. I was furious with her for her selfishness, leaving you alone with a man she knew is a monster. And I was sure that I wouldn't be able to keep the charade going in public or private. Even I'm not that good of an actress and the thought I'd mess up and Daddy would find out you told me, and he'd hurt you worse terrified me. So, I figured leaving you to do it on your own, while nowhere near ideal, was the safer bet."

_'Damn. _That's_ why she stayed away? She feared she'd tip Aaron off that she knew, and he'd hurt me, so she chose the lesser of two evils? God, the more I hear the more I hate _the bastard_ while the more I love_ Trina_.'_

When a warm, soft hand squeezed his, he gave a watery smile. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you during that time. I didn't know what to do and the one thing I never wanted was to hurt you even if it would've been unintentional. This family only seems to hurt you. Burying your mom would be the hardest thing you'd ever have to do. And I didn't want to make it harder. Though, I realized after the fact that I made it harder anyway by being absent. And I'm sorry for giving you the false hope that Lynn was still alive. I should've known Veronica would put a trace on the credit cards. Most of all, I'm sorry for the horrible things I said at the Regent when you caught me rage spending Lynn's money out of spite. A friend of Daddy's was there, and I panicked. The ass-kisser would mention seeing us if anything appeared out of the ordinary. The jackass was always on the lookout for an opportunity to know something Daddy didn't and rub his nose in it. So, I came across bitchy and unfeeling and made sure you would react the same. I hated every second, but my main concern was not getting you into more trouble than necessary."

The guy's name always escaped him, but he saw the man when he and Veronica left the hotel after his little breakdown. He had said a little prayer at the time that the ass hadn't noticed or overheard him or Trina.

After rubbing a hand over her face again, she dropped it. "What I want you to understand here is that I'm one of those people who failed you over and over through the years. And I'm _so_ sorry."

He threw himself into her arms and grunted a little with watery eyes when the impact jarred his still broken ribs, but he held on tight and cried. The sobs brought physical pain, too. The tears were cleansing, though, so he went with the flow.

When all that remained were the sniffles, he pulled back. "Sorry, but I needed that. You didn't fail me, though, Trina. You were a kid, too, and he's your dad. I only told you, so you'd have a heads-up if he turned on you one day. But I wasn't trying to make you choose, though I'm grateful that you seem to choose me."

She stroked his cheek. "I am. I choose you, Logan. You're my little brother. I'll always love you. And I haven't done right by you so far. But I'm saying all this because I plan to make it right and be there for you the way I should've been all along. That's why I got in the car at six in the morning and drove an hour. But it was worth risking waking you up at seven in the morning. Last night while Daddy bitched about you abandoning him in his time of need, I realized that this is it. This is my one and only second chance to love you the way you deserve. And I'm unwilling to pass it up because I won't get another one like this ever again. I'm not strong, Logan, not like _you_, but you make me want to be better and stronger _for _you."

He leaned into her soft touch and covered her hand with his own. "You don't realize your own strength. What you did, coming here today with no guarantee that I wouldn't slam the door in your face that took courage. And I believe that you came for what it'll mean for me, not yourself. While we're apologizing, I'm sorry for always being such a little jackass. I'll try to do better this time around."

She dropped the hand from his face and pulled him into a hug again. "Okay, enough tears, I blew off an audition to come here so entertain me, Logan."

_'She did what? God, Hell just froze over. She _must_ be serious.'_ Trina never missed auditions if she could help it. _'Wow, I'm more important than the career she wants? _That's _never happened before.'_

Still, he laughed. "I re-discovered the box set of The Friday the 13th series you bought me last year. Want to see how many movies we can get through before I have to visit the D.A.?"

With a grin, her head inclined. So he got up and found the DVDs before they sat down and watched the first three movies. At the end of the third one she took the camera out of her bag and held it up. "For old time sake?"

A grin spread across his face and he paused the screen on Jason's hockey mask before she beamed. And despite the pain it caused him, they hugged each other tight and took a few shots. When she had gotten at least one decent picture, she stared at the last one. "Proof of the new page in our relationship."

Except for the healing bruises and watery eyes, the picture was a perfect replica of the original photo they took seven years ago.

After leaning over, he kissed a cheek. "Make sure I get a copy of that to go with the one I have on the bedside table."

Her head tilted to the side, but she stared at him. "I didn't see it, show me?"

So, he brought her back into the bedroom and she fingered the frame. "That's my favorite memory before today."

His eyes closed halfway, and the corners of his mouth rose into a lazy smile. "Until the night Veronica and I made love for the first time, that night was my fave too, now the two tie."

With a grin, she walked to the end of the bed. When her eyes landed on Nana's open trunk, she jerked her head up and made eye contact. "You opened the chest. How?"

After he beamed, he detailed their adventures the previous weekend and when he finished, her lips turned upward until they were ear splitting. "_Good_, now you don't have to play nice with Daddy to make sure you're taken care of. Lynn's legacy will make sure you never need or want for anything ever."

His head inclined before the alarm began ringing, signaling it was time to dress to go see a man about a horse. Before he turned towards his closet, he looked at Trina and took a leap. "Um, do you want to come to the meeting? I mean, I uh, I'd like you to, but if—"

She didn't let him finish stumbling over the words. "I would love to be there for you as support. If my life wasn't so entrenched in L.A., I'd move back and seek custody myself. But I need to stay in L.A. at least until I get the trusts. If I got custody now, you'd have to move there but all your friends are here and more to the point, Veronica is here. Since Mr. Mars and Mrs. Fennel are willing… you're not mad that I'm not trying to get custody, are you?"

_'What?'_ His head shook. "Not at all. I love that you've thought about it, but I get that your life is there, and I'd rather not move if I can help it."

Her eyes sparkled again before she brushed his shoulder with a hand. "I'll go wait in the living room while you throw on a monkey suit. You think the D.A. will mind me in jeans?"

With a snicker, he bumped her shoulder with the healthy one. "You're so fabulous she won't even notice. But you can explain that you came to town and wanted to show your support, so you came even though you are underdressed. Besides, most people weren't raised by Hollywood royalty to believe that official meetings require a suit or a dress."

"True." Another giggle escaped before she left the room, closing the door on the way out.

Veronica showed up just in time to go. Since he still couldn't drive, the three rode in Trina's car.

* * *

The meeting was quick, and the Deputy D.A. repeated everything said over the phone the previous day. Overall, everyone agreed that Keith and Alicia would try for custody.

Trina only spoke once. "If the judge doesn't grant them custody, make a motion for me to get custody. Logan and I agree that the best-case scenario is he stays here with Mr. Mars and Mrs. Fennel. That way he won't need to start at a new school for senior year and leave all his friends behind. But I'm willing to move here. However, it'd be best to do that after my birthday. The less Daddy knows about my finances, the better. If it's after May ninth, then Daddy won't wonder where the money for the house came from. Once my birthday rolls around, Daddy will have less control over and less knowledge of my day-to-day expenses, too. Anyway, after the ninth of May, I'd be more than willing to move here for the year. I don't want to do anything to cause Daddy to question too much about my finances, though. So, once I get my trusts out from under Daddy's control, I'll be home free and supporting us both will be easier once that happens."

With wide eyes, his mouth gaped a little. "You'd stop trying to get roles? You wouldn't be able to do any movies if that happened."

Her lips turned up and the muscles in her face and body relaxed. "Yes, times a thousand, and besides, it'd only be until you graduate high school. Once you're an adult, I could go chase those dreams again. You are way more important than being famous, Little Brother. There are other options but if necessary, I'll put my dreams on hold. You're worth it, and I choose you. I meant everything I said this morning."

After getting up, he walked around the table before pulling her into a hug. When they pulled apart, both wiped their eyes again.

The Deputy D.A. made a note on a pad. "In that case, I'll prepare the paperwork as a back-up plan. However, I'm confident that the judge will agree Mr. Mars and Mrs. Fennel are appropriate guardians. Mr. Mars is a former law enforcement officer and a certified foster parent which only adds to his already stellar qualifications. And, Mrs. Fennel is the mother of two well-adjusted sons which is a testament to her own abilities."

After Franklin, Logan's personal lawyer, the Child Advocate Attorney, and Keith and Alicia all signed a mountain of paperwork, the group headed home.

* * *

Once home, they put the fourth Friday the 13th movie into the DVD player and sat down. However, before he could press play a knock resounded through the apartment, so he got up and answered the door. Wallace, Cassidy, and Mac smiled when he opened it. After he let them in and introduced everyone who hadn't already met Trina, they all sat and watched the rest of the series.

When the evening ended, Trina stood, and he made eye contact. "Are you good to drive home? Because I can relegate Cassidy to the couch, it folds out so…"

She chewed the inside of a cheek for a moment. "Maybe not, but as much as I don't want to, I was considering going to the house. I'll just tell Daddy I came to see him after his call. Make it seem like I'm here to support him because I might get some piece of information from his bitching that might help."

With a shake of her head and upturned lips she reached for a hand and took hold. "Anyway, it'll mean spending the day with Daddy tomorrow. But after today I can put on the performance of my life because the bastard didn't cost me my brother."

Her lips bent down. "Once he knows about the bid for custody, I'll explain I will stand by your side. I'll suggest he must have asked for the courts to place you in Mr. Mars' care and that anything else must be a huge misunderstanding. I'll play it up that I think Daddy wants to keep you away from his scandals and that we as a family support this decision. That should appease him at least a little if I make it look like I don't believe the allegations. Everything should be fine if he thinks I am doing my best to make _him_ look like a good and caring father. If he thinks my belief is that he's more worried about your emotional well-being than saving face, then everything should work out."

After standing, he bumped a shoulder. "That's brilliant. I'll have to remember that when the press asks why I'm in Keith and Alicia's custody. For tonight, though, be careful. Dear Ole Dad might have a shorter fuse than usual, and I want you to call if you need anything regardless of what time it is, okay?"

While she nodded, they hugged and held each other for a few minutes. When they pulled apart, both had tear tracks again. She grinned. "This is the start of something great, Logan. I can feel it."

He shifted on his feet and bumped shoulders again. "I feel it, too."

Then she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I'll text before I go to bed, so you know I'm safe in my room with the door locked."

"Good, thank you."

She hugged everyone else. "It was lovely meeting all of you and hanging out. I hope we get to do it again soon."

Everyone echoed the words, and she walked out of the apartment with a broad grin.

A moment later, he fell onto the couch and grabbed his ribs. "Oh, plopping down is a bad idea right now."

His friends chuckled and within a few minutes they all left until it was just him and Cassidy sitting in the living room. He stood and looked down at Cassidy. "Well, I'm beat, so I'm heading to bed. Go dig in the boxes if you want to watch a movie or play a game I haven't unpacked yet."

Cassidy's head inclined, and he left and shuffled into his bedroom. He stripped down and for once remembered his injuries and eased onto the bed. Then he stared at the dark ceiling for a minute. "Thank you to whoever gave me back Trina. I won't waste this opportunity."

After having woken up so early that morning, once in bed, he rolled over and fell asleep a lot quicker than expected.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Just a reminder about the Pinterest board for the story called 'Pictures for ALMH Series' under the name Saoirse Kinnardy: kinnardy/pictures-for-almh-series/.

The Pinterest board will also have recipes for at least four items mentioned in the story that I will add as they're mentioned.

There is also a playlist for this story on Spotify called 'ALMH 02: The Winds and Rains and the Scorching Sun.' You can find the playlist by searching for the title under playlists or follow this link: playlist/7MsLS2SqrrPWy5FGKFBa31?si=XFzuMmu3TLKUVQcPnWakOA.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Okay so first, sorry for the delay. This chapter kicked my butt. Second, I'm not sure when I will post the next one. I'm sick, possibly with Coronavirus, and I do more sleeping and coughing than anything else, so I'm unsure when I'll get the next chapter finished. Plus, my wonderful Beta, His_Beautuful_Girl, is sick, too, so who knows. All I can say is sorry for the delay and we'll get it done as soon as possible.

Many thanks to His_Beautuful_Girl for her work/help on this chapter. Love you, Twin of My Heart. Feel better soon.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**I've Been Looking for This**

**Wednesday, March 23, 2005**

* * *

**Logan's Inspirational Message:**

_'Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.' — _Unknown.

* * *

On Wednesday, Logan and his friends took advantage of Spring Break and met up at Neptune's illustrious Pacific Vista Mall. He enjoyed the normalcy of surrounding himself with friends, of having Veronica's hand linked with his while walking. Darrell, Wallace's little brother, came with and turned and walked backwards in front of the group of friends. "Wallace, can we go to Barnes and Noble? I saved enough allowance to buy that book."

Wallace glanced at everyone else and they all nodded. "Sure. The store is at the other end, so why don't we head in that direction and work our way back?"

Darrel beamed and Logan made eye contact. "So, uh, what book do you want to buy? Your mom said something about King Arthur?"

Darrell bumped into a lady. "Excuse me, Ma'am." After turning around, he walked forward but turned his head and answered the question. "_'Merlin and the Making of the King'_ by Margaret Hodges. My teacher says it's supposed to be awesome and even has illustrations."

The group kept walking and stopped at a clothing store. Logan lingered over the pile of t-shirts with funny sayings; two catching his eye. The first one had a bubbling science beaker and the words, 'Forget lab safety. I want superpowers.' The second one had, 'I've Got Time to Kill Everyone' printed across the fabric with, 'I've Got Time to Kill, Everyone' under it. Beneath that were the words, 'Correct Punctuation Saves Lives.' Both were great, but he had a million and one t-shirts already.

Wallace and Darrell glanced at the shirts he held, and Darrell's head tilted. "Gonna get those?"

His head shook. "No. I already have a million T-shirts, and I want to be responsible with my money for a change. I need a new laptop since my old one is showing signs it's dying a slow death. There's no guarantee that Aaron will keep paying me. I have what Mom left, but I feel the need to make the money stretch as long as possible. Besides, I don't need another t-shirt, but I need a new computer for schoolwork and that will not be cheap."

Darrell and Wallace's heads inclined, and the three looked around the rest of the store.

When the group left the store, the two brothers whispered about something. At the entrance to the store, Wallace halted in the doorway and patted his pockets. "Hey, I dropped my wallet. Darrell and I will look for it, we'll meet up at Best Buy."

Everybody agreed and split up. When they got to Best Buy, Logan made a beeline for the laptops and tried each one out. "My old one is four years old and I think it's dying. Mac, Cass, any suggestions on which of these I should get?"

Cassidy stood on one side and Mac on the other, pointing out all the reasons the computers weren't worthy of him or his computing. Mac closed the laptop he was playing with. "Logan, we will get the perfect laptop, with all the programs you need. And my member discount from the computer store will make it cheaper than any of these. _And _the specs will still be better. Plus, Cass and I can overclock the laptop and make it super-fast."

He ducked his head and stared at the floor. "I don't want to be a bother."

Mac's hand brushed his arm. "It's no bother and I don't know about Cass, but you will offend me if you buy one of these crap machines."

With a laugh, his head inclined. "Well, I wouldn't want to offend you."

Next, the group perused the DVDs on sale, and he bounced on his toes when he found the James Cagney Movie, 'Angels with Dirty Faces.'

Cassidy's head tilted. "I've never heard of that one. What's it about?"

Bouncing again, he beamed. "It's a crime drama from 1938, starring James Cagney. Keith mentioned it when it came out on DVD in January. And I've been looking for it every time I come here so I can get it as a small thank you for everything he's done and been for me. Now that he didn't make me go home after the hospital, I feel like I owe him this even more."

Veronica sighed but grinned. "I'm sensing the purchase of the next family movie night feature film. Dad will love it."

After bringing the movie to the register, he paid for it, and when Wallace and Darrell met up with the group, they headed next door to Barnes and Noble. While everyone separated and browsed different sections, Logan ambled over to the magazine section to see if the store had the Surfing Magazine he sometimes bought.

A while later, Wallace walked over. "Hey, anything good?"

With a shrug, Logan showed Wallace the surf magazine. "I like this magazine. However, when I asked Aaron if I could get a subscription, he said no. Dear Ole Dad said I should spend more time getting better at surfing by doing it, not by reading about it. I hide the magazine any time I buy one."

His head tilted and his voice lowered. "The one time Aaron saw it, he whipped my back hard with the buckle end of the belt which left me bruised and bloodied. Felt that beating for weeks afterward."

Wallace's head shook. "I'm not a violent guy by nature. But your father makes me want to break things, particularly his face and as many bones as I can reach before someone pries me off him."

After closing the magazine, he laughed. "Ronnie's called first dibs on that, so you'll need to get in line, and Keith might want to be in that line too."

The pair walked to the register where Logan bought the magazine, and while walking towards the group of friends waiting, Wallace held out a hand. "At least now you don't have to hide it. Can I see it for a minute?"

He handed it over, and Wallace flipped through the pages, stopping to look at a few of the pictures before handing the magazine back. "Basketball's more my thing, but it looks cool."

He bounced on his toes. "Oh, it's so awesome. They have articles about different boards and famous surfers and the best locations and weather conditions for the best waves. I love this magazine. It doesn't tell you how to be a better surfer, but it gives you the information you can put into practice out on the waves. I tried to explain that to Aaron, but that's when he used the buckle end of the belt. He said I was talking back and calling him stupid by questioning what he said."

Wallace shook his head. "I call third dibs."

They had lunch at a restaurant inside the mall. Afterward, Logan and Veronica drove to her apartment and watched a movie, cuddling up and falling asleep together on the couch.

* * *

When Keith got home, the trio made dinner, with Keith and Veronica teaching Logan what to do. While they worked, they talked about their day. At one-point Keith glanced at him. "So, Logan, someone has a birthday coming up. Got any plans?"

Logan's head shook while he washed some veggies. "I'll just spend the day with Veronica. We were talking about going to the boardwalk."

Keith's lips turned upward. "That'll be nice. Anything you're hoping for?"

He stared at the cutting board. "There's a video game coming out, but it'll be impossible to get that day. Everybody expects the game to fly off the shelves, so I'll wait and get it next month. Other than that, the plan is to enjoy my freedom."

Keith wiped his hands on a towel. "Oh, what video game?"

While peeling the carrots, he focused on not cutting himself on the peeler. "'Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower.' It's supposed to be awesome. Aaron wouldn't let me pre-order it, though. To get it, I'd have to get to the store hours before they open to get in line, so I'll wait."

Keith nodded and then left the room for a minute before coming back and helping peel the rest of the carrots.

After handing Keith the peeled veggies, he wiped his hands on a towel. "Hey, so, I was thinking of visiting Trina this weekend. Do you think I might persuade you to let Ronnie come with? I might try to get all my friends to come with me if they're available."

Keith's lips turned upward. "I might be amenable to that, provided you sleep in separate rooms."

After chuckling, he beamed. "Oh, no worries, Trina doesn't want to be an auntie any more than we want to be parents so she won't let bad behavior fly any more than you would. Anyway, if it's okay, I'll run the idea by Trina tonight. If she says yes, I'll call our friends tomorrow and see how many might be interested."

Keith dumped the veggies into the pot of boiling water. "Sounds like a plan."

He grinned, and they finished making dinner and had a quiet meal before he visited Weevil's house for the evening.

When he got home from 'Weevil's School of Wizardry and Automotive Care' right before his eleven o'clock curfew, he called Veronica for their nightly call. The call only lasted for a few minutes, but the tradition brought comfort.

After hanging up with Veronica, he called Trina for his now nightly call with her.

After they expressed greetings, he cleared his throat. "So, um, I was wondering if you might be free to host me and my friends this weekend?"

Trina stayed silent for a few seconds. "You want to come visit with your friends?"

He shifted on the bed. "Yup. I figure if we're giving this brother-sister relationship a fresh start, we need to work on building memories and erasing the old animosities."

There was silence and then a bang and more silence before Trina giggled. "Sorry, I bounced so hard that I dropped the phone."

After laughing, he lay down with the phone still pressed to an ear. "Okay, Ms. Rabbit. So, what do you say, you up to hosting a bunch of rowdy teenagers?"

Trina snickered. "Well, Mr. Tigger, that might be doable."

His lips tilted upward. "Great. I'll run the idea past my friends tomorrow. Either way, Ronnie and I are in and will be there with bells on."

They hung up a few minutes later, and he sent texts to all the friends about going to L.A. for the weekend before heading to bed.

* * *

The next day, when he opened the door around noon time, Veronica sang a rousing rendition of 'Happy Birthday.' Then she ended the song with the be-all end-all of Birthday Kisses.

He chuckled into the kiss before pulling apart, breathless. "Wow, I should have a birthday more often. If the rest of the day is half as great as that kiss was, I'm gonna have an awesome day."

She chuckled and led him out to the Xterra. She drove them to the Boardwalk, and they walked around. They even rode The Tunnel of Love, the Ferris wheel, the haunted house, and the carousel. Any ride that wouldn't jar his injuries was fair game.

While on the carousel, Logan and Veronica leaned over at one point and kissed. The boardwalk photographer snapped a picture of the moment from an angle that missed his arm hugging his ribs. The photograph also was dark enough that the bruises on his face weren't visible. Overall, it was one of his favorite shots of them together, so Logan bought three copies. The first one for Veronica. The second one for his bed stand. And the last one to put in the fireproof box with the rest of his backup photos and other mementos he wanted to keep safe.

That was another instance of Aaron's influence. Logan always made or bought an extra set of pictures, in case something happened to the set on display. He started doing that just after he turned thirteen, when Aaron burned the only surviving photos Lynn had of her grandparents. It devastated Lynn until Logan had shown her, he and Trina had scanned all the family photos. But he learned the lesson. Aaron could and would destroy anything in the house if the mood struck him. So, Logan got a ride to Veronica's a few days later, and they went to the mall and bought three fire-safe boxes, which he hid under Veronica's bed. In the boxes, he put extra hard drives with all the digital and scanned family photos and paper copies of any that had duplicates. He still stopped by her apartment with his laptop and updated the hard drives often.

With upturned lips, he stared down at the beautiful shot of him and Veronica meeting halfway between the two horses and giving each other a tender kiss. He dropped another kiss on the top of Veronica's head, and she turned her face and kissed the tip of his chin.

After paying for the photos, they put them into Veronica's messenger bag for safe keeping and stopped and got ice cream cones. The couple strolled side by side, but one arm in a sling and the other hand holding the cone prevented them from holding hands. But they bumped hips every couple of minutes.

They walked down the beach, and after throwing out their trash, they found a deserted patch of sand and sat. His lips turned up. "Aside from a resurrection, the only way this could be a better birthday is if I was healthy enough to catch some waves."

With a squeeze of his hand around hers, he leaned a shoulder against hers. "I'm one year closer to being eighteen. I'm well on the way to being free of Daddy Dearest forever. And, as if that's not all great enough, I'm spending the day with my absolute favorite person."

She snuggled in against his side. "I'm glad you're happy, and for the record any day spent with you is the best day ever."

He laughed and dropped a kiss to the top of her head before sitting and enjoying the smell of sunshine and ocean. The only interruptions were the phone calls from Mac, Cassidy, and Meg and Weevil. All four sang happy birthday and except for Weevil who had to work, they all said they were in for L.A. that weekend.

* * *

After a few hours of sitting together and talking about previous birthdays and other best days ever, they got up and drove to the Fennel home.

When they arrived, Veronica led him to the front door of the main house and opened the door before motioning him in ahead of her. He stepped through the doorway and Keith, Alicia, Cassidy, Darrell, and Wallace all shouted, "Surprise, Happy Birthday!"

The last thing he expected was a birthday party, so he jumped a foot in the air and when he landed, he cringed at the pain but chuckled. "Um, thank you."

Alicia hugged him and whispered, "Happy Birthday, Logan, and many more."

Keith patted his back and Darrell hugged him like Alicia did before Wallace bumped fists with him. "Happy Birthday, Marshall."

With a chuckle, he beamed. "Thanks, Diddy."

Alicia smiled and leaned forward. "You hungry? A little birdie may have told us that Thai food is a favorite and what you order. And don't worry, I made sure they knew you are allergic to shellfish."

His eyes narrowed. "You mentioned that the other day, too. How did you find out about that, anyway?"

Her lips tilted upward before she patted his healthy shoulder. "Several little birdies made sure I knew that. Now, who's ready to eat?"

The group sat down and ate while they talked about how everyone's day was. Alicia and Keith, and even Darrell, all seemed to pay attention to what he said and asked relevant questions.

After dinner, Alicia and Ronnie brought out a cake and Alicia's eyebrows furrowed. "Veronica and I made it this morning while you were still asleep. I'm not sure why it's leaning to the side. Cakes don't do that."

He laughed and held out his plate. "Ronnie's cakes historically lean to the left. I think it makes them taste better. Like it's made by someone who cares but they focused so much on pouring love into it they forgot to make sure the cake was structurally sound."

Veronica pushed his good shoulder. "Hey, it's sound. It's standing up, and it's not collapsing in on itself. And love is the most important ingredient."

His head inclined and after taking a bite, a moan escaped. "It must be. None of the store-bought cakes my parents always insisted on buying ever tasted as good as the cakes you and Mrs. Navarro ever made. When I asked Mrs. Navarro why that was, she said the secret ingredient is love."

Alicia's lips turned upward. "That sounds about right."

He took another bite and moaned again at the perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter.

After the cake, they each brought out a gift. He took the first gift from Keith. The shape and size suggested video game. However, no one ever got him the video games he liked. So, his lips formed a brittle line while he prepared to pretend to be grateful. He opened the gift and his eyes widened. The corners of his lips tilted until it felt like they were a crescent moon and just as big. Keith got the PSP game he told him about the other night.

Keith's head tilted to the side. "Did I get the right one? I wrote down the name after we talked about it. Despite waiting in line for hours, I had to go to three different stores today before I bought the second to last one at the third store. The salesclerk that helped me said they had over a hundred kids lined up at the door when they opened, and I was lucky to get one."

Tears pricked at his eyes and he blinked to keep them at bay. _'Keith listened when I told him about the new video game coming out on my birthday. He heard __me when I spoke and visited three stores to find it?'_ Aaron wouldn't have done that. If the ass ever bothered to buy him something he wanted, he would have sent an assistant on the errand to the nearest store. If they didn't have it, Aaron would have said it wasn't meant to be. Not Keith Mars though, no, _he_ visited three stores to find the perfect gift.

He cleared his throat. "I—thank you. I don't—this is awesome. Thank you. I look forward to playing later."

Alicia handed him the next gift, and he held it, heavy like a book. He tore off the wrapping paper and his grin spread even wider. She gave him a copy of Eragon. "Thank you. You were fishing for gift ideas the other night, right?"

With a chuckle, Alicia's head inclined. "That part of the conversation was two-fold. I _was_ fishing for ideas for your birthday, but I also wanted to know what you enjoy. So, yes, it was a fact-finding conversation, but not with the sole purpose of picking a gift."

Wallace's gift was next. He took the envelope that Wallace handed him and opened it before pulling out a confirmation letter. The page stated he would receive a two-year subscription to the Surf Magazine he got at the bookstore the other day.

Wallace's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward. "I may not be a violent guy, but your dad doesn't get to win either. This is a compromise that allows me to thumb my nose at him and give you something you want. And all without landing me in jail for putting _him_ in the hospital. Though to be clear, breaking _him_ like he tried to break you is tempting. Mom would frown on that, though, so I'm disregarding his wishes instead."

That caused a lump to form in his throat. "Thanks, Diddy. I don't want anyone to get into trouble for me so I can live with your compromise."

Darrell shifted in his seat and grinned before shoving a wrapped blob at him. "My turn."

Alicia fussed, so Darrell gave a sheepish grin and ducked his head. "Please. My turn, _please_."

Logan chuckled and hefted the gift in his hand like it was the hand of a scale. "Not too heavy." He squeezed the wrapped mound. "And it's soft." With a shake, he smirked. "Doesn't make noise."

Darrel sat on the edge of the chair beaming at him, so he tore it open and revealed a pile of fabric. After lifting it, he released the bottom of it and revealed the Science Beaker T-shirt he stared at the other day. With a laugh, he laid the shirt out on his knees and smoothed the fabric. "Let me guess, Diddy didn't lose his wallet?"

Darrell's head shook, hard. "Nope, I saw you wishing you could buy it, but you said you need a new laptop more than you need another shirt. I can't afford a computer, but I could give you the shirt. This way you can pay for the laptop and you still get one shirt you wanted."

That got the boy a hug before Cassidy handed him another package just as soft. He unwrapped it and held up the T-shirt, tilting his head to the side so he could read the sideways words. The T-shirt said, 'You Look Really Funny Doing That With Your Head.'

He straightened his head and laughed. "Thanks, Cass. I didn't see this one the other day. I love it."

Cassidy blushed. "I found that table before you and saw it and thought of you, so I grabbed it before you could see it."

"Well I love it."

Veronica stood. "My turn. Mine is in your apartment and was part of the reason I wanted to go out and do something today. Though, I never need an excuse to spend time with you. However, I needed to do it out of the house today so Wallace could let the delivery guy in and set it up."

Wallace laughed and pointed at Veronica. "It came already put together so all I had to do was direct traffic."

Veronica took his hand and led him out to his apartment. After he unlocked the door, everyone walked inside and glanced at her. "Where to, Bobcat?"

She pulled on a hand and the group walked down the hallway and into his bedroom. He pulled up short. Then the corners of his lips rose at the enormous orange bow sitting atop a new piece of furniture in the room's corner. "You got me a desk?"

The corners of her lips tilted up, and he let go of her hand and inspected the carvings on the new desk. They matched the tree carvings on the bedroom furniture, causing it to blend into the room. After taking his hand in hers, she squeezed it. "The owner at the thrift shop downtown said it was part of an entire bedroom set, but a fire destroyed the rest of it. The only piece that survived was the desk. It's got some singe marks towards the bottom, but I didn't notice them until the guy pointed them out. Anyway, it looked like a good match for _your_ bedroom set so I figured since you didn't have a desk, I'd get you one."

The red cherry wood was a perfect match for the rest of the furniture, so he pulled her into his body with his good arm and hugged her. "Thank you. I love it." He glanced at everyone else. "All of it. Thank you. This is by far the best birthday ever, even better than my sixth when we went to Bullwinkle's."

Everyone got things that showed they cared and that they paid attention when he spoke or did things. Most of it he mentioned once in passing. And they all remembered well enough to get it for his birthday. That's another thing. He didn't even tell them it was his birthday. They just knew and took it upon themselves to make sure he had a wonderful one.

He sniffled and blinked tears away again before he picked up a wrapped gift off the bed stand and handed it to Keith. "I've been looking for this since January when you mentioned wanting to get it. Maybe we can watch it together tonight?"

Keith raised an eyebrow but tore open the wrapping paper. "Thank you, Son. I've looked at Best Buy a few times when I was in there for other things, but they never had it. Blockbuster has it to rent though, so I was this close to breaking down and renting it."

Keith gave him a manly half hug, and they returned to the main house and watched the movie.

* * *

When he called Trina for their nightly call, even she remembered his birthday. After answering the phone with a rousing rendition of 'Happy Birthday,' she said, "I hope you have a wonderful year ahead full of love, laughter, and joy."

They caught up more. Towards the end of the call, he shifted on the bed. "So, all my friends, except Weevil, are down with coming to visit you. He said maybe another time if we go on a weekend he's not working."

She squealed and he could picture her bouncing. "Yay. You'll have to come back when he's free, too. I'm so excited, Logan. Is it tomorrow yet?"

He glanced at the clock and laughed. "It's been Friday for about fifteen minutes." He followed that statement up with a yawn.

They kept talking for a while longer. No matter how many times he and Trina yawned, neither one of them seemed eager to hang up. So, he didn't go to sleep until after one in the morning.


End file.
